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Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sparked outrage on Thursday when he responded to a heat wave affecting the city by instructing residents how to set their air conditioners.
The blowback came as New York City extended emergency heat measures amid a historic holiday weekend heat wave, with officials warning that temperatures could feel as hot as 112 degrees.
“In New York: it’s hot out there, and the electric grid is working overtime to keep us cool,” Mamdani told X as the city grappled with scorching temperatures.
“Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/appliances you don’t use, and remove what you can. Our city is doing its part too: maintaining a 78 degree rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand, asking our private partners to do the same, and reducing non-essential energy. A stable grid is an AC resource saved – get AC lives and find life. heat – together.”
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New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani delivers a speech during a reception at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence, to celebrate Juneteenth, a state holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, in New York, United States on June 16, 2026. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Mamdani’s post quickly went viral and was viewed more than 36.5 million times as conservatives and scholars criticized the mayor for his directives on what temperature they should set their air conditioning units to.
“Show us your thermostat, commie,” TV star and Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt posted on X.
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“78 degrees???” Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy posted on X. “Welcome to the communist people! We hope you enjoy it!”
“Welcome to socialism, where the government wants you to turn your house into a sauna because they can’t plan for the unexpected fact that it gets hot in the summer,” Rep. Republican Brandon Gill wrote in X.
“78 degrees?” analyst Matt Walsh posted on X. “My AC never gets above 68 in the summer. This is America for God’s sake.”
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was elected in November 2025 and sworn in on Jan. 1, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“It turns out that socialism is actually not free,” Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X.
“Do you feel the warmth of the group though?” Red State writer Bonchie posted on X.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.
Although Mamdani has faced accusations of being a Communist on social media, his political power is growing in New York City, highlighted by last week’s election in which his party of socialist candidates won.
After that election, former Vice President Kamala Harris reached out to Mamdani and the two connected by phone, Fox News Digital reported, sending a signal that Mamdani’s background will be critical in determining who will be the next Democratic president in 2028.
