Zohran Mamdani, the far-left socialist who recently won the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor, is under fire after a photo resurfaced showing him flipping off a statue of Christopher Columbus.
In the 2020 post, Mamdani — a self-proclaimed “democratic socialist” — proudly gave the middle finger to the statue in Astoria, Queens, writing:
“Take it down.”
The image, which shows a gloved hand in front of the Columbus statue, is still publicly visible on Mamdani’s X account.
Mamdani’s Poll: Replace Columbus with Communists
In a follow-up post, Mamdani ran a poll asking who should replace Columbus if the statue were removed. Among the options:
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Tony Bennett — Astoria-born music icon
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Walter Audisio — Communist partisan who executed Mussolini
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Sacco & Vanzetti — anarcho-communists executed in 1927
The poll’s “winner”? Sacco and Vanzetti — two left-wing radicals convicted of murder.
Italian-Americans Furious: “This Is Not Inclusive — It’s Insulting”
Italian-American leaders slammed Mamdani’s disrespectful stunt.
“We will defend Columbus Day and Columbus statues,” said Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition.“He is being disrespectful to the Italian American community… If you offend one community, you offend all communities.”
Joseph Scelsa, president of the Italian American Museum, warned:
“To eliminate such a large population of people would be a travesty. Columbus is our hero.”
New York City’s Italian-American community makes up 8% of the population, according to reports.
Conservatives Torch Mamdani Online
Mamdani’s actions didn’t just offend Italians — they triggered backlash from across the conservative world:
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Joe Piscopo: “Not gonna happen.”
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Joey Salads: “This guy needs to be stopped.”
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Megan Basham: “The most defining characteristic of the left is ingratitude.”
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Ezra A. Cohen: “He disrespects the critical role Italians and Catholics played in the founding of our nation. Shameful.”
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Evan Power (FL GOP Chair): “What a disgusting socialist.”
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Mike Benz: “You can be a nepo baby anchor baby who’s never had a job and become mayor just by hating white people hard enough.”
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Sean Davis (The Federalist): “This communist clown needs to be sent back.”
Mamdani: A Radical with a Shady Background
Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents and recently sparked controversy for identifying as both Asian and African American on college applications.
His platform includes:
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Defunding the police
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Radical redistribution policies
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Socialist economic restructuring
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Dismantling “white supremacy” in NYC institutions
Despite this, he managed to win the Democratic mayoral primary, shocking moderates and progressives alike.
General Election: A Real Fight Ahead
Mamdani will face off in November’s general election against:
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Current Mayor Eric Adams, running as an independent
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Republican Curtis Sliwa
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Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, also making a comeback bid
The Columbus post has already made its rounds — and could cost Mamdani big in a city where many still honor tradition, respect history, and reject anti-American radicals.
