For decades now, there have been refugees from various Communist countries who have come to the United States to escape the brutal governments they lived under. They saw how America was a bastion of freedom and decided to legally enter the country to benefit from the fruits of that freedom.

Once in the U.S., most of these Communist refugees have realized just how lucky they are to not live under a destructive regime anymore. But unfortunately, not every immigrant who comes to America from a third world country is willing to be so grateful. In fact, there are many who are dead set on changing the United States to make it almost exactly like some of the places they came from.

This of course has drawn the ire of many Americans who escaped communism. Yet there are still politicians, both American born citizens and citizens who legally immigrated to the U.S., who feel the need to introduce socialism and communism to the country. That’s what makes the prospect of someone like Zohran Mamdani – the leading Democrat candidate for New York City mayor – so terrifying.

As someone who’s only been a U.S. citizen for seven years, Mamdani feels as though capitalism and many traditional American values are deeply flawed. That’s why he believes there are many socialist and communist principles that can help “fix” things. But for those who fled some awful countries that have implemented these ideas, Mamdani’s prominence in the NYC mayoral race is likely to be nothing short of a disaster.

Outrage Erupts Over NYC Mayoral Candidate’s Stances On Socialism And Communism

A recently resurfaced video of Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, has created intense criticism from local politicians and former Communist refugees. The clip, from a 2021 Young Democratic Socialists of America conference, captures Mamdani declaring that one of his goals is “seizing the means of production,” a phrase rooted in Marxist ideology.

Ari Kagan, a former Brooklyn City Councilman and Belarus native who lived under Soviet-style communism, took to X to express his alarm. “After [the] Red October Socialist Revolution in 1917, Bolsheviks seized means of production, jailed or killed business owners, eliminated freedoms & took over private farms & food stores,” he wrote.

“I would never imagine NYC would consider this failed & dangerous government model.” In an interview with the New York Post, Kagan described Mamdani’s words as “chilling,” recalling the hardships of his childhood in Minsk, where government-run stores led to long lines and scarcity. “It’s dangerous and scary,” he said. “A majority of New Yorkers have to reject this man.”

Kagan, who is Jewish, also criticized Mamdani’s stance on Israel, calling him a “Hamas sympathizer.” The resurfaced clip shows Mamdani advocating for controversial positions, including boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel, alongside “the end goal of seizing the means of production.” He argued that socialists must champion these issues, even if they are unpopular, stating, “It is critical to the way that we organize, the way that we set up our, you know, set up our work and our priorities that we do not leave any one issue for the other; that we do not meet a moment and only look at what people are ready for, but that we are doing both of these things in tandem, because it is critical for us to both meet people where they’re at and to also organize for what is correct and for what is right, and to ensure that over time we can bring people to that issue.”

Mamdani, who identifies as a Democratic socialist, has faced accusations of masking his true political beliefs. Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, a native of Ukraine when it was Soviet-controlled, called his distinction between Democratic socialism and communism “pure deception.” She warned, “Those of us who grew up under communism know this all too well. Our home countries were destroyed by ideas that came dressed in pleasant, persuasive packaging.” Vernikov urged New Yorkers to “wake up before it’s too late.”

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, whose mother fled Communist Cuba, described Mamdani’s comments as the “scariest thing” he has said, drawing parallels to Karl Marx’s ideology. “My mother fled a country that ‘seized the means of production’ and now my relatives have no medicine, no property and rationed rice and beans in Cuba,” she said. “Venezuela also ‘seized its means of production’ and a quarter of its population fled and those who remain are living in poverty and misery.” Malliotakis questioned why immigrants like Mamdani’s family would choose the U.S. if they support such ideologies, suggesting they could have settled in countries like Cuba or Venezuela.

Queens Councilwoman Vickie Paladino echoed these sentiments, labeling Mamdani’s remarks as “straight out of the Communist Manifesto.” She argued, “There’s no way to spin that. He’s obviously a full-blown Communist, and we cannot have someone like this in charge of America’s largest and most important economic center.” Paladino went further, questioning Mamdani’s immigration status and suggesting a review of the Communist Control Act.

Mamdani has denied being a Communist, emphasizing his identity as a Democratic socialist. On NBC’s Meet the Press, he responded to the allegations, saying, “No, I am not.” He cited inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., quoting, “Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism: There has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God’s children in this country.”

The controversy follows Mamdani’s unexpected victory in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary, which prompted President Trump to call him a “100% Communist Lunatic.” As the debate over Mamdani’s ideology intensifies, his critics argue that his vision for New York City threatens its economic and social fabric. They’re appalled by the fact that he’s very willing to promote his socialist and communist ideologies one of the top cities in America.

Do you agree with any of Mamdani’s stances? Or are you terrified at the prospect of him becoming mayor of NYC? As always, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below!