Self-proclaimed socialist Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s nominee for New York City mayor, is facing renewed scrutiny after past comments surfaced in which he called for the government to seize the properties of law-abiding citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic to house the homeless.
The March 2020 post, made during Mamdani’s State Assembly campaign, was blunt.
“The oligarchs who want us to return to work to goose the stock market are the same ones with thousands of luxury condos as investment properties, sitting empty while NYers die on the streets & in shelters,” Mamdani wrote.
“Seize these properties.
“House the homeless.
“Enact a #HomesGuarantee.”
The rediscovered remarks have sparked bipartisan backlash and highlight what critics call an extremist agenda rooted in Marxist ideology.
Mamdani has openly campaigned on “de-commodifying” housing, essentially eliminating private property in favor of collectivist models of shared living.
In a video published by left-wing nonprofit The Gravel Institute, Mamdani described his long-term goal as “moving toward the full de-commodification of housing.”
He called for creating community land trusts to “gradually buy up housing on the private market and convert it to community ownership.”
His vision is a communist-style system that replaces private homeownership with “communal-style living,” including shared laundry rooms, food co-ops, bathhouses, lecture halls, and even centralized kitchens.
“If we want to end the housing crisis, the solution has to be moving toward the full de-commodification of housing,” Mamdani said.
“In other words, moving away from the status quo in which most people access housing by purchasing it on the market and toward a future where we guarantee high-quality housing to all as a human right.”
Critics say the proposals are a direct echo of Marxist economics.
Yet, Mamdani hasn’t done much to distance himself from that label.
At a 2021 Young Democratic Socialists of America conference, Mamdani told attendees not to compromise on far-left goals, including “seizing the means of production,” a hallmark phrase of communist theory.
More recently, Mamdani quoted Karl Marx directly, writing in a social media post:
“Each according to their need, each according to their ability.”
The quote is a foundational slogan of Marxist ideology, lifted directly from the Communist Manifesto.
Even New York City’s current mayor, Eric Adams, who left the Democratic Party to run as an Independent, rebuked Mamdani for invoking Marx.
Adams is warning that the quote and the ideology behind it signal a radical departure from American values.
President Donald Trump weighed in last month, referring to Mamdani as a “100% Communist Lunatic” and warning that a Mamdani administration could result in a federal funding freeze for the city if the incoming mayor “doesn’t behave.”
“This man is a disaster waiting to happen,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
“I will save New York City if he wins — whether he likes it or not.”
Mamdani, however, rejected the label of “communist” during an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker.
“No, I am not,” Mamdani said when asked directly if he identifies as a communist.
“I have already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from, who I am, ultimately, because he wants to distract from what I’m fighting for.”
Mamdani insists he is a Democratic socialist, citing Martin Luther King Jr. as a political inspiration.
“I call myself a Democratic socialist — in many ways, inspired by the words of Dr. [Martin Luther] King from decades ago, who said, ‘Call it democracy, call it Democratic-Socialism, there has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God’s children in this country,’” Mamdani told NBC.
But many voters remain unconvinced.
Critics say Mamdani’s comments reflect not just a fringe ideology, but a dangerous political agenda that would weaponize government to dismantle private property, expand state control, and turn New York City into a socialist experiment.
With the general election looming, Mamdani’s past words may come back to haunt him.
Voters may soon decide whether New York is ready to hand over the keys to a self-declared socialist.
However, after winning the Democrat primary in the deep blue city, Mamdani is already on track to be the next NYC mayor.
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