Dems Join GOP To Pass Resolution Rejecting Socialism Ahead Of Trump-Mamdani Meet
Just hours before New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani traveled to Washington for his first sit-down with President Donald J. Trump, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan resolution condemning the “horrors of socialism.” The timing served as a stark backdrop for the ascendant democratic socialist mayor’s visit to the White House.
The measure, introduced nearly a month ago, was brought to the House floor Friday by Republicans, CBS News reported.
“A yes vote on this resolution should be a relatively straightforward, easy decision,” said Republican Rep. French Hill of Arkansas.
“It simply states that Congress denounces socialism in all its forms and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States of America.”
The resolution passed 285–98, with 86 Democrats supporting it — including many from Mamdani’s own backyard. Fourteen Democrats from New York and New Jersey backed the measure, among them House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who endorsed Mamdani only at the eleventh hour of the mayoral race.
Other New York Democrats who voted in favor included Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres, Queens Reps. Greg Meeks and Grace Meng, and Long Island Reps. Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi. Suozzi notably kept his distance from Mamdani throughout the campaign.
The resolution also earned support from Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island, whose mother escaped Cuba in 1959 to flee “the very things that our new socialist mayor in New York City says he wants.”
Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters criticized the vote and opposed the measure.
“I wish we were here on the House floor this morning debating solutions that would reduce grocery bills, lower housing costs, end Trump’s tariffs strangling American small businesses and manufacturers, solve the Republican health care crisis, or any legislation that allows Americans to afford live through the catastrophic economic policies of Trump and the Republicans,” she said.
When asked about the resolution while standing beside President Trump in the Oval Office, Mamdani brushed it aside.
“I have to be honest with you, I focused very little on resolutions,” he said. “Frankly, I’ve been focusing… on the work at hand. I can tell you, I am someone who is a democratic socialist. I’ve been very open about that.”
“And I know there might be differences about ideology, but the place of agreement is the work that needs to be done to make New York City affordable,” he added. “That’s what I look forward to.”
The House vote came just as the president signaled he is tapping the brakes on deploying the National Guard to New York City. Trump told reporters Saturday that he is prioritizing other cities where federal intervention is more urgently needed. His comments came one day after he hosted Mamdani at the White House for a surprisingly warm meeting.
Trump had previously identified New York as one of several Democrat-run cities he was prepared to support with federal resources. In August, he said he would “help” restore order after wrapping federal operations in Chicago, according to Mediaite.
Before departing for Joint Base Andrews, MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner asked whether the Guard would still be deployed to New York.
“If they need it. Right now, other places need it more, but if they need it,” Trump said.
“We had a very good meeting yesterday. We talked about that, but if they need it, I would do it.”
That mirrored his comments during Friday’s Oval Office meeting with Mamdani, where Trump said he would feel “very comfortable” living in New York City again — a remarkable statement given his long-running criticism of the city’s leadership.
The tone between the president and the incoming socialist mayor was unexpectedly warm. Trump had once mocked Mamdani as “my little communist” and derided his ideology as a failure. Mamdani had branded Trump a “fascist.” But inside the Oval Office, the hostility melted away.
The pair appeared strikingly cordial, with Trump even calling it a “great honor” to host the man who had built much of his political persona on opposing him.
Their meeting, combined with the House’s sweeping denunciation of socialism, underscored the ideological crossroads facing New York — and the complicated political terrain Mamdani is poised to navigate as he prepares to lead America’s largest city.