‘Good Grief’: Critics Pounce On Zohran Mamdani For Answering ‘No’ On CNN When Asked If He Likes Capitalism
Credit: Katie Godowski / MediaPunch /IPX
Presumptive Democratic Party candidate for mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, sparked a fierce backlash on Thursday when he told CNN’s Erin Burnett he did not support capitalism.
Mamdani joined Burnett on her show to discuss a variety of topics, from his background to his platform, and she asked him, “Do you like capitalism?”
Mamdani, who is also a democratic socialist, replied, “No, I have many critiques of capitalism. And I think ultimately the definition for me of why I call myself a democratic socialist is the words of Dr. King decades ago. He said, ‘Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism. There must be a better distribution of wealth for all of God’s children in this country.’”
Mamdani ran on a platform that included policies like freezing rent-stabilized rates, instituting state-run grocery stores, and free bus services. His platform also raised eyebrows this week for a line that included wanting to “Shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods.”
Critics were quick to pounce on Mamdani, who would run the financial center of the United States should he win in November.
Never-Trump leader Heath Mayo, replied, “Good grief. Someone ask Mamdani for a single example where “not capitalism” has led to freedom and prosperity. The response to Trumpism needs to be a total rejection of cronyism and corruption and a recommitment to the rule of law, enterprise, and individual rights—not this.”
Fox Business anchor Elizabeth MacDonald reacted by writing, “Socialist Zohran Mamdani and his parents are in the affluent 1% w a net worth estimated at least $5M, they got wealthy off of capitalism while his academic father, Mahmood Mamdani, got rich pushing Marxist communism, and Mamdani campaigns in working class identities.”
Doug Ducey, the former GOP governor of Arizona, replied, “This becomes a norm if we don’t fight it.”
Below are some more reactions:
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