Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) on Monday slammed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani over comments he has made about capitalism.
“This is the financial capital of the world, here in New York City. And just the other day, he was asked, ‘Do you support capitalism?’ And he said, ‘No,’” Lawler said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
“This is insanity to the highest level. So, whatever anybody’s thoughts are about Eric Adams, the fact is, New Yorkers are going to have a choice, and the choice is going to be to have a functioning city based on reality and economic realities, or you’re going to go towards socialism, which would be an absolute disaster,” he added.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, shocked American political observers last week as he seemed to be headed toward clinching the Democratic nomination for the Big Apple’s mayor over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. If Mamdani secures New York City’s top job, he would be its first Muslim and Asian mayor.
In an interview on CNN last week, the outlet’s Erin Burnett questioned Mamdani about his view of capitalism.
“Do you like capitalism?” Burnett asked.
“No, I have many critiques of capitalism,” Mamdani responded.
Mamdani also told NBC News’s Kristen Welker on Sunday that he didn’t believe “that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality.”
The Hill has reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment.
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