Mamdani’s bait-and-switch underscores perils of socialism’s promises

Published July 31, 2026 6:15am ET



This spring, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released a viral video in which he announced his latest “tax the rich” scheme, specifically targeting billionaire Ken Griffin as a poster child for the policy.

“This is an annual fee on luxury properties worth more than $5 million whose owners do not live full-time in the city,” he declared. Gesturing to the building behind him, Mamdani continued, “Like this penthouse, which hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin bought for $238 million.”

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