Zohran Mamdani emerges as Republicans’ government shutdown boogeyman
As the government shutdown continues to drag on for over a month, House Republicans have found an unexpected target in their political rhetoric: Zohran Mamdani, a New York State assemblyman and self-identified democratic socialist. Despite his campaign for mayor of New York City being over 200 miles away from Washington, D.C., Mamdani has become a focal point for GOP leaders who claim that the Democratic Party is increasingly influenced by its left-wing base. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise articulated this sentiment, suggesting that the shift began with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory over Joe Crowley and has now culminated in Mamdani’s prominence within the party. Scalise and other Republicans argue that figures like Mamdani are steering the Democrats further left, creating a narrative that positions them as a threat to the party’s stability.
The GOP’s fixation on Mamdani has been evident in their daily press conferences, where he has been invoked repeatedly as a symbol of what they perceive to be a radical shift within the Democratic Party. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended this focus, stating that it is the responsibility of elected officials to call attention to what he describes as a “socialist uprising.” This rhetoric has escalated, with Republicans even coining the nickname “Commie Mamdani” to emphasize their disdain for his political views. In response, Mamdani criticized Johnson’s preoccupation with him, suggesting that the Speaker should prioritize more pressing congressional matters rather than attacking his campaign. He pointedly remarked that the Republican leadership’s inability to deliver on promises, such as lowering the cost of living, may be driving their need to distract from their failures.
The ongoing political battle surrounding Mamdani illustrates a broader struggle within the Democratic Party as it grapples with its identity and the influence of its more progressive members. With House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsing Mamdani, the GOP’s narrative that the left is gaining control within the party gains traction. This situation reflects the complexities of American politics, where local figures can become national symbols in the ideological battles between parties. As the shutdown continues, the focus on Mamdani serves as a reminder of how political narratives can be shaped and weaponized in the arena of public discourse.
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As the government shutdown stretches over a month, one left-wing figure has emerged as House Republicans’ most-cited political boogeyman — and it’s not either of the top two Democrats in Congress.
Instead, it’s
Zohran Mamdani
, a New York State assemblyman and self-proclaimed democratic socialist who is running for mayor more than 200 miles away in New York City.
“You’ve seen their party get pulled further to the socialist left, and it started when [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.] beat Joe Crowley. And ever since then, Democrats have been afraid of that kind of emerging wing of their party,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital when asked why GOP leaders are invoking Mamdani so often.
“Today, they are the center of the Democrat Party. They are running the Democrat Party, and you can see it, Mamdani is the one that they’re all scared of and they’re all listening to.”
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He pointed to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and his recent endorsement of Mamdani.
“It’s changed how they run their whole party operation, because they’re afraid of the left base of the party, which is really headed by Mamdani now,” Scalise said.
House GOP leaders or speakers at their daily shutdown press conferences brought up Mamdani both directly and indirectly at every one of their press conferences last week.
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At his Thursday press conference,
Speaker Mike Johnson
, R-La., accused the media of criticizing his frequent commentary on the New York City socialist.
“Amazingly, the media is criticizing Republicans for fixating on Mamdani. I read some of that yesterday. This socialist uprising is something that we have a responsibility to call out and sound the alarms. That’s what elected representatives of the people are supposed to do,” Johnson said.
“And we take that responsibility seriously. And obviously, Mamdani is a big issue here in the halls of Congress. Why? Because the second-highest ranked Democrat in the country, Leader Jeffries, endorsed him.”
Republicans have also taken to calling him “commie Mamdani” recently, a nickname debuted by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., during a shutdown press conference where House GOP leaders invited Republicans in New York’s congressional delegation to speak.
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Mamdani himself
criticized Johnson
at one point for his focus on him earlier this month.
“Speaker Johnson should be seating members of Congress, as opposed to using his time to try and attack our campaign,” Mamdani fired back from Manhattan on Monday.
“But I understand if I was one of the leaders of the Republican Party that had led a campaign that promised Americans a lower cost of living and cheaper groceries, and all I could deliver for them was a government shutdown, then I, too, would be looking to distract in any way that I could from those lack of results.”
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
