JAMAICA, QUEENS — Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., describes himself as a “progressive capitalist,” but ahead of New York City’s highly anticipated Election Day, the Silicon Valley congressman rallied in support of self-identified democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani.
As a broad coalition of Mamdani supporters gathered in Queens’ Major Mark Park on Saturday, a socialist and a capitalist—both of Indian descent—found common ground despite the Democratic Party’s looming identity crisis.
“My vision is economic patriotism,” Khanna told Fox News Digital after the rally, explaining that he wants to “build a broad, FDR-Obama-like coalition” to overhaul the U.S. economy. “I think we need to be a broad tent.”
Khanna said he is “probably one of the few” Democrats who has campaigned for the Democratic nominee in all three major races of this election cycle, also joining gubernatorial candidates Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., on the campaign trail in their states this year.
**‘Democrats Are Nervous’ About Potential Zohran Mamdani Victory, New Report Warns**
“If you had asked me when I was growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that there would be an Indian-American of Hindu faith representing Silicon Valley introducing an African-born Indian of Muslim faith, who would be the next mayor of New York, I would have told you only in a Mira Nair film, but it’s happening,” Khanna told the crowd, referencing Mamdani’s filmmaker mother.
Among those rallying in Queens were coalitions of New Yorkers from Afghan, Muslim, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi backgrounds, along with local elected officials including former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., who lost his Democratic primary to a more moderate challenger last year.
Speakers during Saturday’s rally and canvass launch condemned Islamophobia following Mamdani’s recent criticisms of his competitors in the mayoral race, including Independent candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, and Mayor Eric Adams. Adams suspended his re-election campaign and endorsed Cuomo over what he called “Islamophobic rhetoric.”
Mamdani asked the New Yorkers gathered to raise their hands if they had ever been called a terrorist, if employers “mangled” their names, or if they had been made to feel “less-than because of who you are.” He added, “We are not just saying goodbye to a disgraced former governor on Tuesday, we are saying goodbye to the politics of that disgrace.”
However, moments before Mamdani’s remarks concluded, a protester disrupted the event, accusing the leading mayoral candidate of refusing to denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which is widely considered a call to violence against Jews. Mamdani said he would discourage others from using the phrase but has been reluctant to denounce it outright.
“You are a communist!” the protester shouted from the press pen as the crowd booed him while Mamdani continued speaking. “This is not Cuba! This is not Venezuela!” The protester, wearing a shirt with the Cuban flag, was ultimately escorted out by police officers as he shouted, “F you, Zohran!”
President Donald Trump has labeled Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and referred to him as “My little communist,” a moniker Mamdani has rejected.
Mamdani’s ambitious campaign agenda includes proposals such as fast and free buses, city-run grocery stores, and free childcare, which he plans to fund by raising taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was heckled by Mamdani supporters chanting “Tax the rich” during last Sunday’s rally, has ruled out a tax hike, despite endorsing Mamdani’s mayoral campaign.
After Saturday’s rally and canvass launch, Khanna told Fox News Digital that Hochul “should be taxing the billionaires. What’s wrong with having a tax on that wealth so that we can pay for childcare?” He questioned, highlighting a 10% “trillionaire tax” which he said Elon Musk is advocating for, suggesting it could finance universal childcare in the United States.
“I don’t understand why she’s not for a basic wealth tax,” Khanna added.
Mamdani’s mayoral campaign has exposed a divide within the Democratic Party, as New York Democrats have been reluctant to endorse his democratic socialist agenda.
After months of withholding his support, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Mamdani last week. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has yet to endorse Mamdani with just days left in the race.
As the Democratic Party grapples with losses up and down the ballot in 2024, a new report this week urged Democrats to moderate their positions. The report was released shortly after three self-identified democratic socialists—Mamdani, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.—joined forces to rally more than 10,000 New York City voters at Forest Hills Stadium last Sunday.
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