Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., has criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after the democratic socialist used his inauguration to reject free markets and roll back policies put in place by his predecessor, moves Lawler said underscored a radical shift in city leadership as the nation approaches the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Speaking to Newsmax after Mamdani's inauguration Thursday, Lawler said the new mayor's rhetoric and early actions marked a dramatic and troubling departure from past leadership in the nation's largest city.
Lawler responded to a question referencing Mamdani's language in the ceremony, which critics compared to themes associated with socialist ideology.
"It's truly mind-boggling. You know, as a lifelong New Yorker, it's stunning that this is where we are as we approach the 25th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11.
"He [Mamdani] just appointed as his chief counsel an attorney who represented 9/11-linked al-Qaida terrorists," he told "Greg Kelly Reports."
Mamdani has selected Ramzi Kassem as chief counsel. Kassem is an attorney who has represented several notorious clients, including Ahmed al-Darbi, a close associate of Osama bin Laden who was convicted in the bombing of a French oil tanker, as well as Columbia University student protester Mahmoud Khalil and an al-Qaida terrorist.
"His first act today was to repeal executive orders issued by [former Mayor] Eric Adams, including defining antisemitism and ensuring that departments and agencies enforce that definition.
"And, of course, obviously, his radical socialist views that he espoused very clearly today from the stage, as Bernie Sanders and AOC were on hand to swear him in," Lawler said, referring to Sanders, the democratic socialist senator from Vermont, and progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
Mamdani, who was sworn in outside City Hall, used his inaugural address to frame his election as a rejection of free-market principles and an embrace of democratic socialism.
The ceremony aired live on Newsmax and the Newsmax2 free online streaming platform.
"I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist," Mamdani said in his address.
He also pledged not to moderate his views in response to criticism, saying, "I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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