Mamdani Says Billionaires Shouldn’t Exist: “What We Need More of Is Equality”

Zohran Mamdani has said that billionaires shouldn’t exist, repeating a longtime goal of the left as he affirmed his commitment to equality instead in an interview on Sunday.

“You are a self-described democratic socialist. Do you think billionaires have a right to exist?” asked the NBC host, Kristen Welker, weirdly echoing the language used by pundits when discussing Israel.

“I don’t think that we should have billionaires, because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality,” Mamdani responded. “And, ultimately, what we need more of is equality across our city and our state and across our country. And I look forward to work with everyone, including billionaires, to make a city that is fairer for all of them.”

Mamdani’s viewpoint is one shared by many on the left, including politicians like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), who have proposed policies like a wealth tax in order to ensure that billionaires pay their fair share back into society.

Polls have found that such proposals are extremely popular across the political spectrum. However, the right has been fear mongering about Mamdani’s political stances, with figures like President Donald Trump painting him as a radical communist — clearly as an insult meant to invoke the Red Scare.

“I already have to get used to the fact that the president is going to talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from, who I am — ultimately because he wants to distract from what I’m fighting for. And I’m fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower that he has since then betrayed,” Mamdani said, after the host asked if he identifies as a communist.

“When we talk about my politics, I call myself a democratic socialist in many ways inspired by the words of Dr. King, from decades ago, he said: Call it democracy, call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth for all God’s children within this country,” he went on.

Mamdani has shaken up the political world in just a few months, elevating the New York City mayoral race to one of national intrigue as the openly left-wing, pro-Palestine candidate has captured a remarkable level of popularity.

Mamdani’s platform is centered around affordability in New York, with proposals like universal child care, establishing city-run grocery stores, and building affordable housing. To pay for these plans, he has proposed raising the state corporate tax rate and placing a 2 percent tax on those making above $1 million annually in New York City.

Both major parties have turned to billionaires in recent years for support for their campaigns, often in a barely-veiled quid pro quo for lawmakers to support tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. This potentially explains why numerous Democrats, including leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), are holding back on backing Mamdani, despite his historic campaign.

At a time when enthusiasm for the Democratic Party establishment is waning, Mamdani’s campaign has been credited with spurring massive turnout, effectively creating a voter base where one didn’t exist before; according to The New York Times, in the two weeks before the election last week, 37,000 people registered to vote, compared to 3,000 people in the last mayoral primary for the city. This rise is largely credited to Mamdani’s campaign, with voters aged 18 to 34 turning out in higher numbers than any other age group.

Still, many establishment Democrats are aligning themselves with Trump in opposing Mamdani’s agenda in order to punch left.