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Shortly after urging city residents to scale back their air conditioning use to reduce strain on the power grid, socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned older residents to be mindful of prolonged summer heat.
“If you have an older loved one, friend or neighbor, check in with them today. Make sure they’re staying hydrated, spending time in the air-conditioned spaces whenever possible and know where to find the nearest cooling center,” Mamdani wrote in a post to X.
It didn’t take long for the reactions online to point out the clashing sets of instructions.
“You just told old people to keep their air at 78. Are you on drugs?” Gina Milan, a conservative media personality, wrote in a post to social media.
“Mamdani: Older adults are at greater risk for heat-related illness, especially during prolonged periods of extreme heat. Also Mamdani: set your AC to 78 degrees,” another observer wrote.
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“How does he expect these older adults to stay cool if he wants them to keep their thermostat at 78?” another user wrote.
Social media users continue to monitor Mamdani’s online directives and his policies as the self-proclaimed socialist navigates the realities of implementing many of his campaign promises.
In the lead-up to his mayoral victory in November, Mamdani claimed that quality of life could not be separated from reactions to climate change.
“Climate and quality of life are not two separate concerns. They are, in fact, one and the same,” Mamdani said in an interview with the Nation last year, proposing new school infrastructure that would serve as shelters during extreme heat waves.
However, Mamdani noted earlier this week that the city’s existing infrastructure was struggling with capacity, asking residents to cap their AC units at 78 degrees.
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“New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool,” Mamdani posted on X.
The request is a part of a series of other measures the city is deploying to counter the heat, including Cooling Outreach On-Location (COOL) vans, extending pool hours and an additional eight cooling centers through sites such as libraries.
“Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can. Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand, asking private partners to do the same, and powering down non-essential equipment. A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved. Let’s ease demand — and get through the heat — together.”
Conservatives expressed skepticism of the plan.
“Show us your thermostat, commie,” reality TV star and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt posted on X.
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Notably, one observer on X pointed out that Republican New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had issued similar instructions in 1999, citing an archived press release.
According to the New York Mayoral Office, the city is predicting a heat wave that could reach up to 112, calling it “historic,” in a press release on Wednesday.
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