Zohran Mamdani Is Right About the Warmth of Collectivism
The Right had a spectacular meltdown about Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration speech rejecting “rugged individualism” in favor of what he called the “warmth of collectivism.” But Mamdani is right that community is a value worth extolling.
Zohran Mamdani became the mayor of New York City with his inauguration ceremony at City Hall on January 1, 2026. (Selcuk Acar / Anadolu via Getty Images)
Zohran Mamdani became the 112th mayor of New York City on New Year’s Day. He followed custom by being legally sworn in at midnight and holding a big public ceremony in the afternoon.
Anyone who expected the mayor to back off his previous commitment to socialism was sorely disappointed. Mamdani was sworn in by Senator Bernie Sanders, whom he praised in his inaugural address as “the man whose leadership I seek most to emulate.” He said, “I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist.” And in the line that most infuriated the American right, he rejected “rugged individualism” in favor of “collectivism.”
In the lead-up to that line, Mamdani talked about the “voters from Hillside Avenue or Fordham Road who supported President Trump a year before they voted for me, tired of being failed by their party’s establishment.” He said:
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.