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‘Boo hoo’: The New Yorkers who cheered Mamdani’s ‘tax the rich’ video
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 30, 2026
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Richard Levine/Corbis via Getty Images
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 30, 2026
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This column originally appeared in The Politics Brief, our weekly newsletter on the people, power and policies that shape New Yorkers' lives.
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Fordham Road in the Bronx is just an hourlong train ride from Billionaire’s Row in Manhattan. But the bustling thoroughfare might as well be a world away.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing an ongoing backlash from the business world for his victory lap over a proposed pied-à-terre tax, which featured him calling out prominent billionaire Ken Griffin by name while standing outside of the Central Park South building where the hedge fund executive paid $238 million for a penthouse in 2019.
But New Yorkers on Fordham Road said they liked the mayor’s decision to get personal with the uber rich. Fordham Road is the same busy roadway where Mamdani made a viral video talking to voters about the affordability crisis while on the campaign trail last year.
“I'm not going to shed any tears for a billionaire,” 66-year-old Bronx resident Edwin Vega said after being shown the one-minute video. “People are suffering, and the 1% are making so much money. It's just galling.”
“I think it's absurd if his feelings are hurt,” the retired housing attorney added. “Well, boo hoo. Who cares?”
Critics have said Mamdani crossed a line by using Griffin’s 24,000-square-foot penthouse to highlight the global elite’s practice of using New York City residences as investments that benefit from the local real estate market, rather than as homes.
Griffin, the CEO of hedge fund Citadel Capital, said this week that the mayor had made a “personal attack” against him. At a banking conference in Norway, he said Mamdani “demonstrated a profound lack of judgement.” He has also threatened to pull the plug on a $6 billion Midtown office project.
The vast majority of Bronx residents we spoke to on Fordham Road hadn’t heard of Mamdani’s video — or Griffin. But most had no qualms with Mamdani’s message after watching the video, which had nearly 52 million views on X as of Thursday morning.
Jasmine Jimenez, a 17-year-old Lehman High School student, said Mamdani helped “New Yorkers open their eyes.”
Edward Cahill, a 58-year-old Upper West Sider, called Mamdani’s video “great” and “realistic.” He scoffed at the idea that the mayor may have endangered Griffin.
“I think the head of a hedge fund is one of the most protected and insulated people,” Cahill said. “He's got so many resources, so much privilege. He's going to do what the bottom line dictates. If his feelings are hurt, I think that's his problem.”
Mamdani has since backed away from targeting the billionaire amid the kerfuffle. Last week, he called Griffin “an important employer and business leader.”
The Citadel CEO is planning to meet with Gov. Kathy Hochul later this week – without the mayor present.
The sentiment on Fordham Road was not unanimous. Elton Mugwambi, a 27-year-old business school student, considered both sides.
“Maybe he was just trying to make a point of a proper example of somebody who's rich, who needs to be taxed,” he said. “Maybe he didn't like the guy, I don't know.”
He said that perhaps Mamdani had gone a little too far by showing Griffin’s building.
“It seems a bit personal,” he said. “But other than that, the whole message and everything, I think it's good.”
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This week in New York politics
- Carl Wilson declared victory in Tuesday night’s special election for the 3rd Council District on Manhattan's West Side. Here’s more on the heated race.
- Mayor Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin came together on Tuesday to pressure Albany lawmakers to reform a tax credit that primarily benefits the wealthy. Here’s what they’re asking for.
- Could New York make it harder for car insurance companies to raise rates? Gov. Hochul is considering it.
- Meanwhile, New York City councilmembers are mulling legislation that would require the city to assess potential memorials for the 1863 Draft Riots. Here’s more on the bill.
- AI data centers have become a focal point in a South Jersey congressional race. Here’s why.
- New York Attorney General Letitia James last week sued two cryptocurrency exchanges that let users trade on sporting events. Here’s more on the lawsuit.
- Representatives from both New York and New Jersey are calling on FIFA to subsidize transit to the World Cup games at MetLife Stadium. Could it happen?
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Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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