Just hours before New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani arrived in Washington for his first meeting with President Donald Trump, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan resolution condemning what it called the “horrors of socialism.” The resolution was introduced nearly a month ago, but Republicans brought it to the floor for a vote on Friday, CBS News reported.
“A yes vote on this resolution should be a relatively straightforward, easy decision,” Republican Arkansas Rep. French Hill said.
“It simply states that Congress denounces socialism in all its forms and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States of America.”
The measure passed in a bipartisan vote of 285-98.
Among the 86 Democrats who backed it were 14 members from New York and New Jersey, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who endorsed Mamdani only in the final moments of the mayoral race.
Other New Yorkers who supported the resolution included Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres, Queens Reps. Greg Meeks and Grace Meng, and Long Island Reps. Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi.
Suozzi made a point of distancing himself from Mamdani throughout the campaign.
The resolution also received support from Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island, whose mother fled Cuba in 1959 to escape what she described as “the very things that our new socialist mayor in New York City says he wants.”
Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters was among those who voted against the measure.
“I wish we were here on the House floor this morning debating solutions that would reduce grocery bills, lower housing costs, end Trump’s tariffs strangling American small businesses and manufacturers, solve the Republican health care crisis, or any legislation that allows Americans to afford live through the catastrophic economic policies of Trump and the Republicans,” she said.
Standing beside Trump in the Oval Office after their meeting, Mamdani dismissed a question about the resolution.
“I have to be honest with you, I focused very little on resolutions,” he said. “Frankly, I’ve been focusing… on the work at hand. I can tell you, I am someone who is a democratic socialist. I’ve been very open about that.”
“And I know there might be differences about ideology, but the place of agreement is the work that needs to be done to make New York City affordable,” he added. “That’s what I look forward to.”
Trump said Saturday he is pressing pause on deploying the National Guard to New York City, arguing other American cities “need it more” at the moment. The president’s comments came one day after he hosted Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who will become New York City’s next mayor, at the White House.
Trump had previously listed New York among the Democrat-run cities where he was prepared to deploy the National Guard, saying in August he would “help” fight crime in the city after completing operations in Chicago, Mediaite reported.
MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner asked Trump if he still planned to send the Guard to New York while he took questions before departing for Joint Base Andrews.
“If they need it. Right now, other places need it more, but if they need it,” Trump said.
“We had a very good meeting yesterday. We talked about that, but if they need it, I would do it.”
Trump made a similar comment during his Oval Office meeting with Mamdani on Friday and said he would feel “very comfortable” living in New York City, especially after speaking with the incoming mayor.
The tone of the meeting was warmer than many expected, given Trump had previously referred to Mamdani as “my little communist” and mocked his socialist ideas, saying they have never worked.
Mamdani had called Trump a “fascist” in the past, a comment the president laughed off when speaking to reporters on Friday.
The pair appeared unusually friendly during the summit, and Trump later said it was a “great honor” to host Mamdani.
