Mamdani hits back at Musk after claim ‘people will die’ over mayor-elect’s FDNY pick

Published December 28, 2025 9:52am ET



New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and X CEO Elon Musk are trading barbs on social media after Musk took aim at Mamdani’s pick to lead the New York City Fire Department.

Mamdani tapped Lillian Bonsignore, a retired EMS chief and former EMT, to be his FDNY commissioner on Dec. 23. The move brought backlash from Musk, the former Department of Government Efficiency head who endorsed embattled former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) over Mamdani for mayor and has been critical of the Democratic Socialist since his campaign.

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