Conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly escalated the political rhetoric against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday, declaring on NewsNation's "Cuomo" that he believes the Democratic mayor is a communist. The remark aligns with a broader campaign by President Trump, Republicans, and some Democrats to paint Mamdani as a radical leftist.
"I believe that Mamdani is a communist. You don't freeze rents across the board unless you want to control where people live. You just don't," O'Reilly said during the interview with anchor Chris Cuomo. The comment came as Mamdani, a democratic socialist who leads the nation's largest city, continues to push an ambitious agenda that includes rent freezes, city-run grocery stores, and free childcare.
O'Reilly's attack echoes similar accusations from Trump, who has branded Democrats as communists as the Democratic Socialists of America gain influence ahead of midterm elections. Critics on the right often blur the lines between socialism—which uses government to reduce inequality and expand services—and communism, which seeks to abolish private property and create a classless society.
During the segment, O'Reilly defended capitalism as the only viable economic system, arguing that individuals have the power to accumulate wealth through hard work and saving. "If you have $1,000, and that's all you have, OK, for a medical emergency or your kids in trouble ... whose fault is that? That's your fault, OK, because there is a way to accumulate assets in this country. That's called capitalism," he said.
O'Reilly cited his own upbringing, noting he began working at age 10 and followed his father's advice to save 10% of every paycheck. "And then you buy into the capitalistic system by stocks and bonds. And I have done that," he added, pointing out that 58% of Americans own stock. However, data shows that wealth is heavily concentrated: the wealthiest 10% of households hold roughly 87% of all U.S. equities.
The affordability crisis is a central political battleground. Republican strategist Steve Bannon has warned that unless the GOP addresses wealth inequality, democratic socialists like Mamdani will gain more power. Mamdani's rise has been marked by primary upsets that routed the New York Democratic establishment, and he has used his platform to criticize billionaires like Elon Musk as symbols of inequality.
O'Reilly acknowledged the emotional weight of the issue. "People are suffering, and that's not going to help the Republican Party. It will not," he told Cuomo, suggesting that the GOP's stance on the economy could backfire if it fails to address voter concerns.
Mamdani's office did not respond to a request for comment on O'Reilly's remarks. The mayor has previously framed his policies as necessary to combat rising inequality and has drawn national attention for his redefinition of patriotism as dissent.
