Civilizations Collide: Mamdani’s Campaign Exposes Deep Rifts in U.S. Politics

Being the top official of the "capital of the world," as New York is sometimes called due to its appeal and diversity, is in itself a major political achievement and inevitably brings the attention of both the American and global public. But Zohran Mamdani has already managed to become widely known across his state and the world, even though he is "only" running for mayor.

Photo: Zohran Mamdani

Thirty-three-year-old Mamdani shocked the American political and business elite—he won the Democratic Party's primary, supported by its left wing led by young U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who might be a future presidential candidate.

The fact that Mamdani belongs to the same political circle as Ocasio-Cortez has triggered alarms across the United States. A new generation of American politicians, particularly among the Democrats, is questioning assumptions that have gone unchallenged for decades. These include the distribution of American wealth, strengthening the welfare state, and a different stance toward Israel.

In the Right Place at the Wrong Time

Mamdani, the son of Ugandan and Indian migrants, a Muslim, married to an artist of Syrian descent, won the primary and attracted the attention of party colleagues, Republican rivals, the wealthiest Americans, and President Donald Trump.

Mamdani may have benefited from low turnout among party members. He defeated the favored former governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, and other candidates. During televised debates, Mamdani voiced views completely opposed to the party mainstream, shocking moderators and provoking vocal opposition from his rivals.

In addition to promoting a welfare state, angering the party's business wing and wealthy Americans, Mamdani received extra attention due to events in the Middle East. He stated he does not support Tel Aviv’s current policies. A video circulated online showing that while every other serious candidate, including Cuomo, said their first visit as mayor would be to Israel, Mamdani said he would first visit neighborhoods of New York he intends to govern. He added that he respects Israel and believes it should exist as a "state of equal rights" and that Palestinians have rights that must be respected.

Separately, Mamdani said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, if he came to New York.

Such a policy from a Democrat would be a boost for Republicans, as Trump battles illegal immigration across the country. In California—which, according to right-wing author Samuel Huntington, lies on the fault line between Western and Latin American civilizations—the entire political concept and American federalism are being tested in conflicts between Washington and Governor Gavin Newsom.

However, a rebellion within Trump’s MAGA movement (Make America Great Again) over U.S. involvement in Israel’s wars and the diversion of attention and resources from domestic issues gives the Mamdani case a new dimension. His potential victory could spark a wave of change and offer new meaning to the Democratic Party, which is still recovering from a devastating defeat in November.

Deport Him, Stop Him

American politics won’t be the same after the Mamdani case—at least in terms of the sheer volume of insults hurled. A segment of Republicans insulted Barack Obama similarly during his presidential run, but the case of Zohran Mamdani has pushed the boundaries.

Shameful insults came from the president, senators, congresspeople, and even fellow Democrats.

Trump called Mamdani a “communist lunatic” who “looks terrible” and “isn’t smart.” The Republican National Congressional Committee labeled him an “anti-Semitic socialist radical.” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said that an “anarcho-socialist radical for mayor of New York was made possible by uncontrolled migration” and that “Democrats are changing politics by changing the electorate.”

Republican Congressman Andy Ogles from Tennessee called for Mamdani to be stripped of citizenship and deported, calling him “little Mohammed” and “an anti-Semitic socialist who will destroy New York.” He claimed to have submitted a formal request to the Department of Justice to investigate whether Mamdani gained citizenship through “lies and concealing support for terrorism.” Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia posted an image on X showing the Statue of Liberty draped in what appears to be a black burqa.

Young Republicans in New York urged the White House to strip Mamdani of citizenship and deport him, citing the “Anti-Communism Act.”

During the campaign, Cuomo likely sought to suggest Mamdani didn’t belong in New York by mispronouncing his last name—prompting Mamdani to spell it out repeatedly during debates. It's hard to believe Cuomo couldn’t learn how to pronounce his opponent’s name.

The absurdity of these Republican accusations lies in simultaneously labeling Mamdani a communist and an Islamist—terms that, logically, exclude one another.

While these insults carry elements of ethnic and religious hatred, they stem mostly from Mamdani’s political agenda, which threatens both Democratic and Republican establishments and the broader economic elite in the U.S.

Zohran Kwame Mamdani was born in 1991 in Uganda to a Shiite Muslim father of Indian origin and later a professor at Columbia University, and an American-Indian filmmaker mother. He was named Kwame after former Ghanaian president and anti-colonial leader Kwame Nkrumah. He studied African Studies, made rap music, and currently serves on the New York City Council.

Republicans aren’t the only ones seeking to stop Mamdani’s rise. Business elites have also entered the fray. The New York Times reported that financial sector leaders such as Daniel Loeb, Bill Ackman, and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin met with current Democratic Mayor Eric Adams to discuss how to block Mamdani from becoming mayor of America’s largest city.

Some of these businessmen are close to the Democratic Party. What unites them is opposition to Mamdani’s economic plan—and, for some, his refusal to unconditionally support Israel and Washington’s current policy toward it, though few admit it openly.

Mamdani also faces obstruction from within his own party. Cuomo has stated he may continue his campaign, and CNN reported last week that Cuomo plans to remain on the ballot as an independent, potentially siphoning votes from Mamdani and splitting the Democratic base.

Mamdani’s Approach

The barrage of insults Mamdani endures and the massive mobilization of political and business elites from both parties show just how crucial the New York mayoral race is for the future of the United States.

A wave of change starting in New York could spread to other parts of the country, with a new generation of politicians using Mamdani’s model to win. Like Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, Mamdani chose to present his program directly to voters, visiting local communities and avoiding corporate media, which have long favored their candidates. In this way, he "hacked" the system and brought politics closer to the people.

Through a kind of door-to-door campaign, Mamdani, despite having far fewer financial resources than his rivals, reached those whose voices are rarely heard and whose problems are often ignored by political elites living physically separated from the population. Over twenty thousand of his fellow citizens donated an average of eighty dollars to his campaign.

Furthermore, Mamdani—like many politicians of the newer generation who don't come from established elites or traditional political camps—has nearly perfected the use of social media and the internet to promote his ideas. His audience is young people who will one day take over the country's institutions and remain voters for decades to come. New generations of Americans, like youth around the world, think differently, and corporate media are finding it increasingly difficult to reach them.

The fact that Israel and Palestine are being debated within the Democratic Party in New York suggests that Mamdani’s strategy is working. For the average New Yorker, local issues are more pressing than foreign affairs. Mamdani recognized this and clearly stated that his priority is New York and its people.

According to U.S. media, New York faces many issues and increasingly lacks services and infrastructure residents have long been accustomed to. For example, school gymnasiums have been turned into shelters for illegal migrants after taxpayer-funded hotels filled up. Mayor Adams, who once welcomed migrants in line with the city’s immigrant-built reputation, traveled to Latin American countries to urge people not to come to New York due to full capacity and ballooning costs.

Against Trump’s America

Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbott have made Adams’ job harder by sending migrants by bus to Democrat-led cities, opposing federal border closures. Some U.S. media speculate that after California, Trump’s next target is New York—a longtime Democratic stronghold used to pilot policies before national elections.

If Mamdani takes the helm in New York, this conflict could take on a new dimension, and the young politician may further emerge as a capable leader with a different approach to tough issues. For example, Mamdani supports legislation in New York that would prevent federal immigration officers from arresting migrants, a policy already underway in California.

Unlike Trump, who enacted a series of measures against LGBTQ+ individuals, Mamdani wants to expand rights for this community. This confirms his alignment with the so-called "progressive Democrats" who advocate more human rights for all, with no room for privilege or discrimination.

Though he’s focused on everyday issues, many of Mamdani’s policies carry national significance. Alongside better public services, he intends to help those in need. He describes himself as a “democratic socialist” critical of the current capitalist system, which lacks fair distribution of wealth. He states he owes nothing to billionaires who supported Cuomo and brought Trump to power.

He has promised to freeze rents for two million residents, provide affordable housing, open city-owned grocery stores with lower prices, introduce free health insurance for all children in the city, reform the police to reduce violence, establish a $30 minimum wage by 2030, invest in green energy, improve public transportation and make it free. He plans to fund these initiatives by "taxing the top one percent"—the wealthy supporters of Cuomo. Mamdani says he wants to make New York "accessible" to all its residents.

From Promise to Reality

Such a political program has long been labeled "radical leftist" or even "communist" in the U.S., with its main proponent, Senator Bernie Sanders, often demonized as someone who would destroy the country and "turn it into Venezuela" or "Cuba."

Mamdani openly aligns himself with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez. He believes, as do millions of young Americans, that a different kind of state is possible—and that a step back on some issues isn't necessarily a step back for the country. Sanders has said that his policies were considered normal in Europe during the 1960s and '70s, championed by social democratic rather than communist parties.

But the political pendulum has swung so far to the right in economic matters that every proposal by Sanders or Mamdani is now branded as populism, danger, or communism—and implementing them is viewed as a threat to democracy.

"His victory shows that working-class politics can’t be bought," Ocasio-Cortez said after Mamdani’s primary win.

The organization Our Revolution backed Mamdani, stating it mobilized over 60,000 supporters to help him. Its director, Joseph Geevarghese, said this is "a referendum on the future of the Democratic Party and a warning to the corporate wing."

The New York mayoral election is in November, and Mamdani has a lot of work ahead. If he wins, he would be the first Muslim and the first Indian-American to lead New York. But even more important for U.S. politics is the possibility that his political program could challenge the status quo—provided he delivers on his campaign promises.

The article was previously published on PISjournal.net

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