Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist candidate who stunned New York’s political establishment with a primary victory in the city’s mayoral race, is facing a political firestorm after a video surfaced of him appearing to embrace the “abolition of private property.”

The undated clip, shared Thursday by the right-wing social media account “End Wokeness,” quickly ignited outrage across the conservative landscape—racking up views and drawing sharp rebukes from Republican lawmakers and commentators.

In the video, Mamdani argues that the current housing system is failing and floats an alternative: “If there was any system that could guarantee each person housing, whether you call it the abolition of private property or… just a statewide housing guarantee—it is preferable to what is going on right now.”

That comment was enough to send the GOP into overdrive.

“He is a communist,” declared Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), sharing the clip with a single, blistering line.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) echoed the sentiment: “Yes, you heard that right… Like the true Communist he is, Commie Mamdani supports the ‘abolition of private property.’ This is the NY Democrat Party, @KathyHochul, you lead—and you have failed to condemn this dangerous insanity.”

Donald Trump Jr. added his voice with biting sarcasm: “Yea, this guy is definitely not a communist.”

Mamdani’s campaign has not issued an official response, though the candidate’s remarks in the video suggest he anticipated the backlash:

“People try and play gotcha games about these kinds of things… I care more about whether somebody has a home.”

The controversy lands just weeks after Mamdani’s headline-grabbing primary victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, a race that catapulted the democratic socialist into the national spotlight. Now, with November’s general election looming, Mamdani faces not just his Republican challenger—but a growing campaign to paint him as a radical threat to economic norms.

Whether the viral moment galvanizes or damns his mayoral run remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: New York’s political battleground just got hotter.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)