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Critics say Mamdani’s vow to swap ‘rugged individualism’ with ‘warmth of collectivism’ has sinister undertone
By Alex Nitzberg
Published January 02, 2026
Freshly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist, promoted "collectivism" over "rugged individualism" during a speech on Thursday, and prominent conservative figures nationwide responded by sounding the alarm about collectivist ideology.
"We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism," Mamdani declared in his inaugural address.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — a Republican who pursued the GOP presidential nomination during the past election cycle but ultimately dropped out and endorsed President Donald Trump — raised the matter of the massive death toll associated with collectivism.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani addresses the crowd at the 2026 New York City Inauguration outside of City Hall in New York City on Jan. 1, 2026. (Jason Alpert-Wisnia / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)
"The 'warmth' of collectivism that always requires coercion and force. How many dead over the past 100 years due to collectivist ideologies?" DeSantis wrote in a post on X.
House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan called Mamdani a "communist," a label which he has previously rejected.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to reporters during a press conference as he stands on the airplane runway of Alligator Alcatraz in Ochopee, Fla., on Friday, July 25, 2025. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
"Zohran Mamdani is a dangerous communist who is likely to DESTROY NYC through his dedication to communist ideology. Let’s be clear: COMMUNISM HAS FAILED everywhere it has been tried. NYC will be no different," she asserted in a post on X.
Mamdani said last year during an appearance on "The View" that he is "not a Communist."
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, responded to Mamdani's controversial remark on Thursday by asserting, "When communists rule, individual rights — invariably — are taken away."
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"Collectivism isn’t warm," Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, declared in a post.
"It’s as cold as ice and locks the poor into perpetual poverty," he continued. "Free markets have elevated more people out of poverty than any government program ever could."
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Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who is running for Lone Star State attorney general, asserted in a post, "The Marxist and the Islamist are the enemy. The Mayor of New York is both."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/critics-say-mamdanis-vow-swap-rugged-individualism-warmth-collectivism-has-sinister-undertone