NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani promised on Thursday to show left-wing politics can succeed as he took over as New York mayor for a term sure to see him cross swords with US President Donald Trump. Thousands of people gathered in freezing conditions in the United States&#39; largest city to celebrate the 34-year-old Democrat&#39;s inauguration after his impressive political rise from relative anonymity just a year ago. &quot;They want to know if the left can govern. They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved,&quot; Mamdani said outside City Hall. &quot;We will do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else: we will set an example for the world.&quot; In the 24-minute speech, he added: &quot;Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously.&quot; Mamdani, New York&#39;s first Muslim mayor, emphasized the cost-of-living issues that were central to his mayoral campaign, pledging to help those &quot;betrayed by the established order.&quot; Left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also spoke in front of some 4,000 ticketed guests. &quot;Thank you for giving us, from coast to coast, the hope and the vision that we can create government that works for all, not just the wealthy and the few,&quot; said Sanders, a former presidential hopeful. At one point during his speech, the crowd broke into chants of &quot;tax the rich.&quot; Mamdani wants to raise taxes on New York&#39;s wealthiest residents. Thousands of people also thronged downtown Manhattan, many wearing yellow and blue beanies emblazoned with &quot;Zohran,&quot; to watch the ceremony on large screens. &quot;This is the first time that either of us in our entire lives has felt some kind of political hope at all,&quot; 31-year-old Jacob Byerly, a scientist, told AFP alongside his wife Auburn. Ambitious agenda Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, comes to power at a time when Trump has pushed a hard-right agenda. But it remains to be seen if Mamdani can deliver on his ambitious program, which envisions rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses. How Trump behaves could be decisive. The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November. One flashpoint might be immigration raids as Trump wages an expanding crackdown on migrants across the United States. Mamdani has vowed to protect immigrant communities. Before the November vote, the president also threatened to slash federal funding for New York if it picked Mamdani, whom he called a &quot;communist lunatic.&quot; The mayor has said he believes Trump is a fascist. Mamdani mentioned Trump only once in his speech on Thursday while reflecting on the city&#39;s diversity, citing supporters of the president who also backed him in the mayoral vote. Symbolic inauguration The inauguration was jam-packed with symbolism. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud, performed a private midnight swearing-in at an abandoned subway station. Mamdani&#39;s office said the understated venue beneath City Hall reflected his commitment to working people. And in a first for the city, he used the Holy Quran to be sworn in as mayor. Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven and enjoyed an elite upbringing with only a relatively brief stint in politics. Compensating for his inexperience, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides recruited from past mayoral administrations and former US president Joe Biden&#39;s government. Mamdani has also opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate leaders have debunked those claims. As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the city&#39;s Jewish community &mdash; the largest in the US &mdash; of his inclusive leadership. A small group of people holding Israeli flags appeared to protest Mamdani on Thursday by blowing air horns during his speech.

Americas

Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, comes to power at a time when Trump has pushed a hard-right agenda; it remains to be seen if Mamdani can deliver on his ambitious program, which envisions rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses.

New York’s Muslim mayor Mamdani pledges left-wing success after taking office

NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani, the young entrant of the US left, was sworn in early Thursday to take over as New York mayor for a four-year term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump. After the clocks struck midnight, bringing in 2026, Mamdani took his oath of office at an abandoned subway stop to begin managing the United States&#39; largest city.&nbsp; He is New York&#39;s first Muslim mayor. In a first for the city, Mamdani is using several Quran copies to be sworn in as mayor: at his private swearing-in and later at a larger, ceremonial inauguration. Two copies of the Quran are from his family, and one belonged to Puerto Rico-born Black writer Arturo Schomburg, The New York Times reported.&nbsp; His office said the understated venue beneath City Hall reflected his commitment to working people, after the 34-year-old Democrat campaigned on promises to address the soaring cost of living. &#39;Privilege of a lifetime&#39;&quot;This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,&quot; Mamdani told reporters after taking his oath. But it remains to be seen whether Mamdani &mdash; virtually unknown a year ago &mdash; can deliver on his ambitious agenda, which envisions rent freezes, universal childcare, and free public buses. Once an election is over, &quot;symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more,&quot; New York University lecturer John Kane said. How Trump behaves could be a decisive factor. Cordial talks with Trump The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November. Lincoln Mitchell, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University, said the meeting &quot;couldn&#39;t have gone better from Mamdani&#39;s perspective.&quot; But he warned their relationship could quickly sour. One flashpoint might be immigration raids as Trump wages an expanding crackdown on migrants across the United States. Mamdani has vowed to protect immigrant communities. Before the November vote, the president also threatened to slash federal funding for New York if it picked Mamdani, whom he called a &quot;communist lunatic.&quot; The mayor-elect has said he believes Trump is a fascist. Block party&nbsp; Mamdani&#39;s private swearing-in to start his four-year term was performed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud. A larger, ceremonial inauguration is scheduled later Thursday with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Around 4,000 ticketed guests are expected to attend the event outside City Hall. Mamdani&#39;s team has also organized a block party that it says will enable tens of thousands of people to watch the ceremony at streetside viewing areas along Broadway. Change of address The new job comes with a change of address, as he swaps his rent-controlled apartment in Queens for the luxurious mayor&#39;s residence in Manhattan. Some had wondered if he would move to the official mansion, given his campaigning on affordability issues. Mamdani said he is doing so mainly for security reasons. Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven and enjoyed an elite upbringing with only a relatively brief stint in politics, becoming a member of the New York State Assembly before being elected mayor. Seasoned aides Compensating for his inexperience, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides recruited from past mayoral administrations and former US president Joe Biden&#39;s government. Mamdani has also opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate leaders have debunked those claims. As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the Jewish community of his inclusive leadership. Recently, one of his hires resigned after it was revealed she had posted antisemitic tweets years ago.

New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (C) is sworn in as New York Attorney General Letitia James (L) and Rama Duwaji look on at midnight on December 31, 2025, in New York as he immediately begins his term on January 1, 2026. New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamd

A larger, ceremonial inauguration is scheduled later Thursday with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; around 4,000 ticketed guests are expected to attend the event outside City Hall.

Articles tagged with "New York's First Muslim Mayor"

New York’s Muslim mayor Mamdani pledges left-wing success after taking office

Mamdani sworn in as New York's first Muslim mayor