3 Right-Wing Lies About Zohran Mamdani Debunked with Facts

The political establishment is in a full-blown meltdown over Zohran Mamdani, and their reaction is as predictable as it is revealing. Since the democratic socialist’s victory in the NYC mayoral primary, a flood of right-wing attacks has sought to paint him as a dangerous radical.

But these narratives are a house of cards. When you examine the facts, the smears about him being a “communist” or an “antisemite” collapse, revealing a deep-seated fear — not of his ideology, but of his specific, popular policies that threaten corporate profits. This is a factual takedown of the panic and an explanation of what the right really fears about Zohran Mamdani.

The “Communist” Smear vs. Mamdani’s Actual Platform

One of the most frequent right-wing attacks is labeling Zohran Mamdani a “communist.” Republican Rep. Andy Ogles called him a “socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York.”

So, is Zohran Mamdani a communist?

The claim is demonstrably false. As fact-checkers at outlets like Al Jazeera and PolitiFact have confirmed, Mamdani’s platform is not communism. He is a democratic socialist operating within a democratic, market-based system.

• What he proposes: Creating publicly owned housing, making buses free, and establishing city-run grocery stores to create competition and lower costs. He also advocates for raising taxes on corporations and the wealthiest 1% to fund these programs.
• What he does NOT propose: The state seizure of all private property or the abolition of the market — the core tenets of communism. In fact, his platform explicitly states a goal to “make it faster, easier, and cheaper to start and run a business.”

The “communist” label is a thought-terminating cliché designed to prevent a real discussion about his policies, which directly address NYC’s historic affordability crisis.

Analyzing the “Antisemitism” Accusation

The most cynical smear against Mamdani is the accusation of antisemitism, based on his steadfast support for Palestinian rights and his critique of the Israeli government’s military actions.

This narrative falls apart when confronted with one simple fact: Mamdani’s powerful support from progressive Jewish organizations.

Groups like Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Action and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) have enthusiastically endorsed him. As Beth Miller of JVP Action told the Associated Press, many Jews support Mamdani because of his support for Palestinian rights, not in spite of it.

This attack is a bad-faith attempt to weaponize Jewish identity to silence pro-Palestinian voices. It falsely assumes Jewish voters are a monolith who prioritize the actions of a foreign government over their own economic well-being — like tackling NYC’s 1.4% rental vacancy rate.

Follow the Money: The Real Reason for the Right-Wing Panic

If the attacks aren’t based on facts, what is the real motive? To find it, you just have to follow the money. The right-wing outrage isn’t about protecting New York; it’s about protecting the profits of the elite.

The Real Estate Lobby

Mamdani’s platform to freeze rents and build massive amounts of public housing is an existential threat to real estate developers and landlords. Lobbying in New York is a colossal industry, with a record $377 million spent in 2024 alone. The powerful firms representing real estate interests stand to lose billions if the city prioritizes tenants over landlord profits.

The Billionaire Class

Mamdani’s proposals are funded by higher taxes on corporations and the top 1% of earners. This is a direct challenge to the donor class that has benefited for decades from a system that keeps their taxes low while public infrastructure crumbles.

The Panic is a Confession

The racist smears — from calling for Mamdani’s citizenship to be revoked to inciting Islamophobic hatred — are not policy debates. They are the desperate flailing of a political class that has no popular argument against a platform built to house the homeless, feed the hungry, and make the city livable for the working class.

The right-wing panic over Zohran Mamdani is a confession. It is an admission that their system cannot compete with a vision that prioritizes human need over corporate greed. The smears are loud, but the facts are louder.

Sources

• Associated Press. (2025, June 29). “How Democrats in America’s most Jewish city embraced a critic of Israel for New York mayor.”
• Al Jazeera. (2025, June 27). “Fact check: Is Zohran Mamdani a communist?”
• Truthout. (2025, June 25). “The Right Incites Blatant Islamophobia After Zohran Mamdani’s Win.”
• NYC Rent Guidelines Board. (2025, May). “2025 Housing Supply Report.”
• NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. (2025, April). “2024 Preliminary Lobbying Data.”