Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has hinted that the Sunshine State is preparing for another wave of new residents and businesses after New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s stunning primary win.
“We’ve absorbed a lot of people over the years,” DeSantis told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday evening. “I think this guy’s policies, soup to nuts, are probably the most radical left that I’ve ever seen of a major party candidate in a big jurisdiction.”
“I’m telling you, I think I’m going to have to charge an entry tax or something because of this guy, because I don’t know if we’re going to be able to absorb everyone that’s going to flee his poor rule if he gets in,” DeSantis added.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-proclaimed Democratic socialist, defeated establishment favorite and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and a crowded field of other candidates, in the Democratic mayoral primary last week.
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The Big Apple’s potential future mayor’s various proposals include eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering “free childcare” for children, city-owned grocery stores and creating a new Department of Community Safety aimed at preventing violence before it occurs.
“It’s the crazy economics, saying they’re going to tax White neighborhoods more. But he also wants to abolish the NYPD,” DeSantis reacted. “He doesn’t want to send law enforcement to dangerous areas. He wants to send social workers.”
“This is something above and beyond the destruction that New York City’s already seen,” the governor continued.
In an effort to keep Florida “free,” DeSantis claimed the state will defend against Mamdani allegedly threatening to prevent the moving business leaders from doing work in both states.
“I’ve spoken privately with some business leaders that when he got the nomination, they are preparing to move more of their assets out of New York City if he eventually gets elected mayor. So, that will happen, and I think he’s not going to be able to be successful in pulling one of those stunts,” DeSantis said.
“We will do whatever we can to defend people against a communist mayor out of state. Of course, we’ll do that,” he concluded. “We’re not going to let him come in and spew his leftism in the free state of Florida.”
At the federal level, President Donald Trump said on the latest episode of “Sunday Morning Futures” that Mamdani would be “very bad” for the Big Apple, and if elected, the Democratic socialist could put New York City’s federal funding at risk.
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Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
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