BURSTFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday tried to spotlight the democratic-socialist leanings of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor in New York City, by comparing him to a past liberal mayor.
“This guy makes de Blasio look like Ronald Reagan," DeSantis said of former Mayor Bill de Blasio, a progressive, in an interview on Fox News’s “Hannity.”
"And I remember when de Blasio was mayor, particularly during Covid, it sparked a[n] absolute flow out of New York City, and yes, many into Florida,” DeSantis added.
The Florida governor attacked the 33-year-old state Assembly member for his policy positions, including his past support for the “defund the police” movement and what DeSantis deemed his “crazy economics” and tax proposals.
“I think this guy’s policies, soup to nuts, are probably the most radical left that I’ve ever seen of a major party candidate in a big jurisdiction,” DeSantis said.
“This is something above and beyond the destruction that New York City has already seen,” he added.
DeSantis said Florida has “absorbed a lot of people over the years," but he expects that number to go up if Mamdani is elected mayor in November.
“I’m telling you, I think I’m going to have to charge an entry tax or something because of this guy,” DeSantis quipped, “because I don’t know if we’re going to be able to absorb everyone that’s going to flee his poor rule if he gets in."
Mamdani on Tuesday formally secured the Democratic nomination for New York City’s mayoral election in November, after the city finished its ranked-choice tabulation.
Mamdani’s stunning upset win over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and numerous other candidates in the field seemed all but certain following the primary last week, as he led comfortably in the first round of counting by about 7 points. He also declared victory as Cuomo, who placed second in the first round, conceded defeat in the Democratic primary and congratulated Mamdani.