Emily Crane writes for the New York Post about response to this week’s New York mayoral election from a high-profile voice on the political left.
Lefty luminary Van Jones was among those raising alarm at Democratic socialist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s rage-filled victory speech, noting his instant “character switch” at winning power.
A roaring Mamdani wasted no time in claiming a mandate for his potentially budget-busting progressive agenda and taunting President Trump as he rallied his fired-up supporters soon after winning Tuesday night.
Jones was quick to note live on CNN that the 34-year-old’s triumphant demeanor was a far cry from the cool, calm and collected candidate seen on the campaign trail.
“I think he missed an opportunity. I think the Mamdani that we saw in the campaign trail, who was a lot more calm, who was a lot warmer, who was a lot more embracing, was not present in that speech,” Jones told a post-election CNN panel.
“I think his tone was sharp. I think he was using the microphone in a way that he was almost yelling. That’s not the Mamdani that we’ve seen on Tiktok and the great interviews and stuff like that.”
“I felt like it was a little bit of a character switch here,” he continued, noting that the once “warm, open, embracing guy” had seemingly vanished.
The Democratic pundit, who worked as an adviser in the Obama administration, suggested Mamdani would have been better off trying to appease New Yorkers wary of his agenda.
“There are a lot of people trying to figure out, ‘Can I get on this train with him or not? Is he going to include me? Is he going to be more of a class warrior even in office?’ I think he missed a chance tonight to open up and bring more people into the tent,” he said.
