Skip to content
Zohran Mamdani’s midnight swearing in as New York City’s mayor is being sold as romantic and historic, but it is really a clear signal that the city is moving even further left under the guidance of familiar progressive power brokers.
Mamdani, a self-described socialist, was officially sworn in as mayor just after midnight at the old City Hall subway station in a private ceremony conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 1, 2026
His team framed the location as a tribute to the subway, the lifeblood of the city, and a symbol of New York built by and for working people. He took his oath on a Quran, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor to do so.
SEE ALSO: Mamdani and Top Aides Stumped by Obvious ‘Cost of Living’ Question
Mamdani Era Set to Begin With Perhaps the Most Radical Appointment to Date. Are NYCers Ready for It?
Later in the day, he will receive a second, highly public swearing-in from Sen. Bernie Sanders, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivering opening remarks, followed by a mass block party open to all New Yorkers.
“Mamdani is going to be swearing into office on a Quran…and if you don’t think that’s an act of war, you haven’t been paying attention.” pic.twitter.com/u0V9vsHxnR
— Kira (@Kiradavis) January 1, 2026
The casting here is not subtle. Letitia James, who built a national profile by targeting Donald Trump and embracing the activist left, is the one chosen to administer the official oath in the dead of night.
Then Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, two of the country’s highest-profile Democratic Socialists, are brought in to bless the public ceremony and turn it into a movement rally dressed up as a civic event.
This is not a “new” politics breaking with the old machine. It is the machine rebranded, with the state’s top law enforcement officer and national progressive stars signaling that Mamdani is an extension of the same ideological project that has governed New York while crime, costs, and outmigration have all remained stubborn problems.
I’m ready for 2026 NYC under Mamdani!!!! pic.twitter.com/e0s51LKn0D
— Paula Scanlan (@PaulaYScanlan) January 1, 2026
The midnight venue and the Quran are already being used by the Left to frame Mamdani as a symbol of inclusivity, history, and working-class aspiration.
It is telling that the rollout focuses on mood and imagery instead of hard questions about how a self-described socialist intends to manage public safety, taxes, business flight, and a strained transit system.
Enjoy Mamdani, NYC! He’s officially your new commie mayor
😂 pic.twitter.com/3cYk2nEvw0— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) January 1, 2026
New Yorkers are not electing a subway station or a social media moment. They are electing the person who will negotiate with unions, set budget priorities, decide how aggressively to enforce the law, and whether to make it easier or harder for families and employers to remain in the city.
The Mamdani era will be a test of whether New York doubles down on the policies that have already pushed many residents and businesses toward the exits.
He ran and won with the backing of the same ideological Left that views policing with suspicion, treats high earners as an endless revenue source, and romanticizes expansive government even as basic services struggle.
The private midnight ceremony with Letitia James at a closed station is more than an aesthetic choice. It is an early reminder that the people who helped create New York’s current problems are still holding the keys and are now presenting their latest project as a fresh start instead of an escalation of the same agenda that put the city in jeopardy in the first place.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy RedState’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use the promo code MERRY74 to receive 74% off your membership.
