As our own Warren Squire reported early Thursday morning, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared on The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart and, when asked by Stewart about the Democratic Socialists of America's platform of abolishing prisons and borders, Mamdani flashed his trademark "trust me" smile and said, "If you have more than one socialist in a room and there isn't disagreement, then you don't have more than one socialist in a room." So, is that a yes or a no on abolishing prisons and borders?
In another segment of the podcast, Mamdani played the card that so many socialists do on X—claim that roads, fire departments, and public schools are all examples of socialism at work. Mamdani told Stewart he'd be slandered if he suggested putting up a building that loans out books for free.
Zohran Mamdani: “A lot of what we’ve come to accept as the facts of life across our country is driven by democratic socialist principles. If today you and I were to introduce the idea of a building that lends out books for free, we would be slandered in the same way that so many… pic.twitter.com/b1MxtTKrJ2
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) July 22, 2026
The post continues:
… new ideas are slandered today and yet that’s the library. And the same thing with the fire department and the same thing with public schools”
First of all, it's not slandering a Democratic Socialist to call them a socialist and to point to the DSA's official party platform. Second, no, it's not the same thing.
So full of shit. Tired of a guy who got here 10 minutes ago lecturing us about the "facts of life" of a country he clearly doesn't understand and loathes.
— JWF (@JammieWF) July 23, 2026
Ben Franklin kicked off the library concept and it was all through private donations, and operated with membership fees. It was not a government program.
— Brad Slager: CNN+ Lifetime Subscriber (@MartiniShark) July 23, 2026
The first fire departments were all volunteer citizens.
But whatever, “socialist wisdom!”, or something…
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Libraries largely exist founded by charity, in particular, one man, Andrew Carnegie. He founded them in the belief that a child doesn’t need the public schools. If they can read, they can educate themselves. A kind of home schooling initiative. Private charity.
— Eric is blocking the road to serfdom (@lbyron) July 22, 2026
So Ben Franklin and Andrew Carnegie were socialists and didn't know it?
That’s one idiotic analogy.
— SteVelocidad (@kkcentex) July 22, 2026
A community that agrees to have a public library is not the same as no prisons, free healthcare for illegals, and dudes dominating women’s sports.
The government doesn't write the books
— ModocForever (@ForeverModoc) July 23, 2026
The government doesn't build the fire engines
The government doesn't have a monopoly on education.
This is dumb. Mamdani is Dumb. Jon Stewart is an ass.
Don’t you see? Libraries and firemen are just like emptying the prisons and seizing your assets. https://t.co/ZIbIUOhQYX
— Bridget Phetasy (@BridgetPhetasy) July 23, 2026
John Stewart's constant nodding and approval of everything Mamdani says during the interview is the perfect encapsulation of the devolution of Leftist "comedy".
— True Joy (@TJ_the_Oculist) July 23, 2026
“Libraries and firemen are socialism” is one of my idiot tests, along with liking “Imagine.”
— David P Thomas (@davidpaulthomas) July 23, 2026
Agreed.
Wow, that was some tough questioning from Stewart.
— AZ_Morlock (@az_morlock) July 23, 2026
I wonder what economic system funds these social programs. Social programs aren't socialism
— Ben Satterthwaite (@BenSatterthwai2) July 23, 2026
And who funds those entities? We the American taxpayers, either by taxes or donations. Alongside the generous donations of capitalist (the 1%) and corporations.
— Tim Sawyer (@tzsawyer) July 23, 2026
People have always agreed to pool their money for public projects and services that benefit everyone. Socialists always gaslight us claiming that every provision of government is “socialism.” Then they steal more and more and distribute it to their favorites.
— Daph (@brainspoon) July 23, 2026
Why can’t you all see the Trojan horse here
— paul kerins (@kerinsp) July 23, 2026
A lot of us do, and that fake smile isn't fooling us. It's funny how Mamdani thinks he'd be "slandered" for inventing public libraries.
So, how about seizing property, abolishing the police, and emptying the prisons? Libraries aren't part of the DSA platform.
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