Two New York City progressives have been making waves nationally, but allies of one are eyeing the other's coverage and think it's unfair.
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Big Apple's mayor Zohran Mamdani have put on a united front in public, joining forces.
Yet, as revealed by the New York Times, Mamdani's rapid rise has caused some friction among Ocasio-Cortez' allies, noting, 'While Mr. Mamdani has not universally pleased the left, it has long grated on some Ocasio-Cortez allies that the new mayor seems to be given more deference from more of the base than she was ever afforded.'
Some in Ocasio-Cortez' orbit have been struck by the level of patience and deference that Mamdani has been afforded by progressive activists and supporters - something that they believe the congresswoman was not given as her own star has risen.
The contrast has become a source of frustration, particularly given the intense scrutiny Ocasio-Cortez has faced after bursting onto the political scene after she ousted incumbent Congressman Joe Crowley in 2018, when she was just 28 years old.
New York Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez told the Times that while Ocasio-Cortez has grown since first being elected, she still expected her to be 'vilified' if she met with 'Bloomberg or some of the other corporate type guys.'
Mamdani's reception has highlighted how different rising stars have been treated by the Democratic Party's progressive wing. Polling has also shown the Mayor to be more popular than the Congresswoman.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at a campaign rally for California Democratic candidate for the US House of Representatives Randy Villegas on October 23, 2026 in Bakersfield, California
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to media after his meeting with President Donald Trump, September 21, 2026, in New York
Mamdani, an avowed Democratic Socialist, saw his rapid ascent from little-known political activist to mayor linked to progressive and pro-Palestinian sectors of the left.
He was accused of being a 'traitor' by pro-Palestine protesters in October as he held a candle at a Union Square vigil marking the third anniversary of Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Read More
Meet the Republicans secretly voting Democrat in midterms - despite brutal backlash waiting at home
One day later, Mamdani was confronted by protesters as he spoke about ICE's shooting of 28-year-old Oscar Bergal, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, in the Marble Hill neighborhood of northern Manhattan.
'Mamdani is complicit,' the protesters chanted, making it difficult to hear him.
The mayor called for ICE to be abolished during his remarks.
However, some of his supporters have started questioning his decision to repeatedly meet with President Donald Trump, most recently at Gracie Mansion in September.
Mamdani insisted to The New York Times last month that he met with President Trump 'to ensure that we're using every opportunity we have to deliver for this city.'
However, Mamdani was unable to sway Trump to release Bergal despite several phone calls to the President and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the outlet reported.
Trump and Mamdani have a mixed history while the two have been in their respective offices.
Trump unleashed criticism on Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez for their behavior during the ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York City back in September.
Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont independent Bernie Sanders both backed Mamdani in his race for New York City mayor in 2025
Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez were caught laughing together at the 9/11 25th anniversary memorial service while the names of victims were being read out by their relatives.
The Democrats were seen bursting into laughter at the solemn Ground Zero event in lower Manhattan, at the same moment that mourners stood silently around them.
Trump described the reaction as 'terrible,' adding that the Ground Zero Memorial is not a place to be laughing, 'particularly in that case.'
'The fact that they were laughing together at a very important part of the ceremony was inappropriate,' Trump told reporters on his way back to the US from attending the Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf club on the banks of the Atlantic Ocean earlier this fall.
A relative of a victim was seen weeping on the memorial seconds before the camera cut to Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez, while victims' loved ones stood on stage reading the names of the deceased.
The moment quickly went viral across social media, with viewers commenting that their jovial reactions were 'a slap in the face' to victims.
Source link
