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Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old Democrat nominee for mayor of New York City, capitalized on his media literacy when White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to him as “Zamdani” during a press briefing.
“The name is Mamdani. M-A-M-D-A-N-I,” the democratic socialist said in a viral TikTok video from the New York City mayoral debate set to the beat of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl.”
When asked about President Donald Trump not endorsing a candidate in the New York City mayoral election, Leavitt said Trump “absolutely does not want to see Zamdani elected, who is a known Communist, who supports the abolishment of private property [and] the defunding of police…”
Leavitt added that it would be a “disaster for New York and for this country” if Mamdani wins this November.
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“I think it would be quite telling that this individual, a known Communist, has been spending time in Washington this week, meeting with leaders on Capitol Hill. This is truly where the Democrat Party is headed. Clearly, they learned nothing from November 5th and the president’s overwhelming victory,” Leavitt said.
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Mamdani would be the first Muslim and first millennial mayor of New York City if elected this November.
Despite meeting with House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., last week in New York City, Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who also plans to meet with Mamdani, have yet to endorse his mayoral campaign.
Mamdani also met with Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C., last week, as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., hosted a “Communication and Organizing Skillshare Breakfast” with the mayoral candidate.
Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive champion and youngest woman elected to Congress, was an early endorser of Mamdani. Members of the progressive “Squad,” such as Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., attended the breakfast, and Mamdani later met with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who also endorsed his primary campaign.
During the New York City primary debate, Mamdani fired back at former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost the primary but has decided to remain in the race as an independent candidate. “The name is Mamdani,” the young progressive snapped after Cuomo repeatedly mispronounced his name.
The video has since gone viral on social media as TikTok users have mashed up his fiery reaction to the beat of “Hollaback Girl.” It’s a social media strategy reminiscent of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ brief presidential campaign in 2024, which was fueled by “Mamala” memes and “Brat Summer” references.
Mamdani’s mayoral campaign played into the hands of an evolving – and chronically online – New York City electorate.
Scrolling through Mamdani’s social media, his TikTok and Instagram pages resemble that of a New York City influencer. From the film-like filters and consistent fonts on his vertical videos, to the cameos from celebrities, including model Emily Ratajkowski and comedian Bowen Yang, Mamdani’s videos have amassed millions of views.
“I would think that he would have a good shot at winning,” Trump told reporters of Cuomo last week.
Mamdani campaign spokesperson, Jeffrey Lerner, was quick to seize on Trump’s comments, writing that “we would like to congratulate Andrew Cuomo on earning Donald Trump’s endorsement. Obviously, this triumph speaks for itself. The question now is whether Cuomo will embrace Trump’s support publicly or continue to just accept it in private.”
Trump has criticized Mamdani’s campaign on Truth Social and repeatedly when speaking to reporters.
“As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards,” Trump said, vowing to save New York City from the socialist candidate.
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