Elon Musk jokes Zohran Mamdani is ‘future of Democratic Party’ after Kathy Hochul’s rally appearance

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The New York City mayoral race, featuring Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa, has quickly become the focal point of the political spotlight. Adding to the buzz, Elon Musk recently chimed in with a sarcastic remark about Mamdani. 

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, October 26, the Tesla CEO reshared a clip uploaded by user @TheChiefNerd, showing New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaking amid chants and signs demanding rent freezes at a Queens rally. In his post, Musk mockingly wrote, "Zohran is the future of the Democratic Party."

His post, which came shortly after Hochul's appearance at Mamdani's rally, soon went viral, racking up over 13 million views, 9.9k reshares, and 76k reactions, and ignited widespread debate across social media platforms.

Kathy Hochul, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Bernie Sanders come together for Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani's October 26 rally, held at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, brought together Kathy Hochul, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Bernie Sanders. 

The event, titled “New York Is Not For Sale,” drew more than 10,000 attendees. During Hochul’s speech, hecklers interrupted with chants of “tax the rich,” underscoring the ideological tensions between the Democratic Party’s establishment and its progressive wing, according to the New York Post.

Mamdani’s campaign platform focused on taxing high-income earners, expanding affordable housing, and implementing rent controls, has garnered backing from moderates like Hochul despite their policy differences.

Hochul endorsed Mamdani in September, praising his commitment to affordability in an opinion piece for The New York Times. “I am confident that Mamdani has the courage, urgency, and optimism New York City needs,” she wrote, emphasizing unity within the party as they prepare to face Republican challenger Sliwa and independent candidate Cuomo.

Soon after taking the stage at the Queens rally on Sunday, Hochul said, "Right now, our city and our state and our country are under attack by Donald Trump and our Republicans in Washington." 

"They’re literally not just taking a wrecking ball to the White House, they are taking a wrecking ball to our values, our people, our progress," she stressed.  

Zohran Mamdani takes an early lead

With early voting underway ahead of the November 4 election, Zohran Mamdani appears to have gained an early advantage in the increasingly intense New York City mayoral race. The 34-year-old faces former New York Governor Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, and Republican candidate Sliwa. 

Throughout his campaign, Cuomo has painted Mamdani as an inexperienced candidate whose bold progressive plans could hurt NYC's economy. On a radio show, the 67-year-old insisted he’s the “real Democrat” in the race and warned that Mamdani’s brand of democratic socialism could lead residents and businesses to leave the city.