As Americans marked Independence Day, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani used the occasion to take aim at wealth inequality — including a swipe at the “world’s first trillionaire.”
Mamdani’s war on the wealthy extended to his holiday message, where he denounced the success capitalism has brought business titans like Elon Musk.
According to The Hill:
“As we mark 250 years, what do we see?” Mamdani asked during remarks delivered from New York City Hall. “We see a city of contradictions within a nation of contradictions.”
ADVERTISEMENT“We see the wealthiest country in the history of the world, one where children go to sleep hungry, while the world’s first trillionaire hungers for more,” he continued.
Plenty on social media disputed the socialist narrative:
Yeah, f*ck them oligarchs! Am I right, @NYCMayor? pic.twitter.com/IZmofWmwwk
— Nathaniel Hawthorne's Ghost (@Hawthorne_Ghost) July 3, 2026
😮💨 pic.twitter.com/n6K7uAIX33
— Maverick Alexander (@MaverickDarby) July 3, 2026
— JJ3Putts (@jjint2019) July 3, 2026
The list even included Musk himself:
Mamdani has built nothing. He is a taker, never a maker.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 3, 2026
Despite bringing thousands of employees along with him to new levels of wealth, critics argue that figures like Musk are often vilified by those who view economic success as a zero-sum game.
Mamdani’s remarks also drew attention to his own background, per Fox News:
Mamdani did not mention his own family’s wealth in the speech. His father was an elite Harvard academic, and his mother an acclaimed film director.
Here’s the full speech:
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