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Former US ambassador and Indian-origin Nikki Haley took a swipe at New York City’s new mayor Zohran Mamdani on the day of his swearing-in, mocking his inaugural speech as sounding more like Chinese Communist Party rhetoric than American politics.Reacting to the speech on X, Haley wrote, “Xi Jinping wants his speech back,” a comment that went among conservative users and added fuel to an already heated debate over Mamdani’s socialist views.
Zohran Mamdani was sworn in on January 1, 2026, becoming New York City’s 112th mayor and its first Muslim mayor. The 34-year-old is a democratic socialist and won the 2025 mayoral election held in November. He built his campaign around affordable housing, higher taxes on the wealthy, expanded public services, defunding police, and a stronger role for government in daily life.In his inaugural address outside City Hall, Mamdani doubled down on his Left ideological stance. “I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” he told the Blue crowd. Although one line from the speech was criticised by the right: “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”Haley’s comment appeared to be aimed directly at that line.
Social media users said the comment is similar to that of Communist leaders like Joseph Stalin or Mao Zedong. The ceremony was attended by huge progressive figures, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, who similarly aligned with Mamdani’s position among the left wing of the Democratic Party. “If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor,” Mamdani said.Zohran Mamdani won the NYC elections in November last year against independent candidate Andrew Cuomo. The odds were against the socialist leader as he was a newbie in America's wealthiest city and was facing veterans endorsed by MAGA chief Trump himself. However, Mamdani successfully united the diverse NYC crowd through his inclusive and approachable campaign.
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