When New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was elected, he started using the power of government to target the rich.
Mamdani is trying to levy taxes to take revenge on the wealthy instead of to provide reasonable public services. In a video lasting just over a minute, he announced a new annual tax on luxury properties worth more than $5 million whose owners don’t live in the city full-time.
Mamdani filmed the video in front of a penthouse that he said was owned by Citadel hedge fund owner Ken Griffin.
Happy Tax Day, New York. We’re taxing the rich. pic.twitter.com/Wky2LFXC9W
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) April 15, 2026
“Those who store their wealth in New York City real estate but don’t actually live here,” Mamdani said.
The mayor failed to mention that Griffin has donated over $2 billion in his life, including a $400 million donation to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. But Mamdani considers the wealthy as evil because many of them own companies.
Ben Shapiro nailed the problem. Mamdani doesn’t see taxes as a way to fund public services or protect property rights. Instead, he’s using the government to target people whom he doesn’t like. And that’s a bad look.
This smarmy Marxist doesn't see taxes primarily as a way to provide necessary public services. He sees them as revenge. He celebrates the confiscation of wealth he did nothing to earn. This is pure class envy, and it's hideous. https://t.co/bfShrXuDzp
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 16, 2026
In 2022, Griffin moved his firm from Chicago to Miami because he was tired of bad policy and high taxes.
Ken Griffin employs thousands of people in NYC and is planning to build the tallest office tower on Park Ave., investing billions more and creating thousands more jobs. (For that reason, he’s also here in NYC a lot, @NYCMayor)
— Sara Eisen (@SaraEisen) April 16, 2026
Meantime Miami is welcoming him and his firm, with… https://t.co/k6JrvuwaEH
He’s also one of the biggest donors and supporters of @SuccessCharters — ensuring New York City public school children have the resources and opportunity they deserve to succeed and go to college. https://t.co/ekP2Cxbzie
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) April 17, 2026
Mamdani is “destroying” New York with taxes, President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post.
“Sadly, Mayor Mamdani is DESTROYING New York! It has no chance! The United States of America should not contribute to its failure. It will only get WORSE. The TAX, TAX, TAX Policies are SO WRONG. People are fleeing. They must change their ways, AND FAST. History has proven, THIS “STUFF” JUST DOESN’T WORK.”
He doesn't want to lift up the poor, he wants to punish the rich.
— Daniel Di Martino (@DanielDiMartino) April 17, 2026
He is a resentful hypocrite who owns a mansion in Uganda and held his wedding in three countries, including in Dubai.
He is no different from Nicolas Maduro except he doesn't have as much power yet. https://t.co/I0FKbtBz3i
Setting policy aside, the worst thing about Mamdani’s mayoralty is his very obvious contempt for the wealthy—as if they’re evil simply because they’ve made money. He films himself outside a rich man’s home, *names the guy* and sneers. Terrible quality in a leader. https://t.co/rmXnNqS8Sw
— Billy Binion (@billybinion) April 16, 2026
When the socialist Mamdani runs out of other people’s money because they’ve fled to warmer and lower-tax states and starts taxing the poor in New York City, this video will remind people how it happened. In the words of Margaret Thatcher, "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."
Florida couldn't get better advertising if if paid billions https://t.co/e29RhFRKKW
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 15, 2026
The last thing you see before you move to Florida: pic.twitter.com/UwJi6SopVq
— Ashley Moody (@AshleyMoodyFL) April 16, 2026