‘What Happens to Local Bodegas?’

New York City Mayor Eric Adams insisted during a CNBC interview on Friday that Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani “can’t deliver” on promises like cheap groceries and free buses.

Adams criticized Mamdani’s platform, which includes proposals such as free childcare, a rent freeze and a $30 minimum wage, saying, “New Yorkers are not looking for someone just to give them a handout.”

“There’s nothing dignified about saying, ‘I’m going to give you a handout,'” he added in a video shared to Reddit.

The mayor also took aim at Mamdani’s support for government-run grocery stores. “What happens to the local bodegas when you do that? Do we shut them down?” Adams asked. He went on to dismiss other elements of Mamdani’s agenda, such as free bus service, claiming they were unrealistic though he did not explain why.

Mamdani’s upset victory over Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday, in which he won more votes than Adam’s did when he won the election in 2022, triggered bipartisan backlash. Several of the city’s billionaires, including Bill Ackman, have also raised concerns about Mamdani’s socialist platform and are reportedly preparing to pour money into funding a centrist challenger in November.