Two influential Democratic figures with ties to the Clinton and Obama administrations have publicly criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Former Clinton adviser Mark Penn attacked Mamdani's proposed pied-à-terre property tax plan, arguing it dramatically understates the scope of affected property owners. Penn stated in a post on X that the city's valuation system includes nearly one million property owners, far exceeding the roughly 30,000 luxury homeowners initially described as targets.
Meanwhile, former Obama White House Chief of Staff and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel recounted a private 90-minute meeting with Mamdani during which he challenged the mayor's rhetoric on Israel. Emanuel warned that calls for a "Greater Israel" and the slogan "from the river to the sea" would lead to "perpetual conflict."
After Emanuel's remarks circulated online, Mamdani's communications director Anna Bahr publicly disputed Emanuel's account. The criticism from Penn and Emanuel is notable as it comes from longtime Democratic insiders rather than Republican opponents and focuses on Mamdani's far-left economic agenda and positions on Israel.
Fox News Digital reached out to Penn, Emanuel, and Mamdani's office for comment.
Notable Quotes
- "You can be focused on winning tough races, flipping red seats blue. Or you can be focused on abolishing prisons and... the Senate and Supreme Court? You can't do both," said one critic.
- "I'm for winning this November and ending Trump's corruption — and I'm also for putting an end to all the distractions from the DSA," another stated.
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