It has been a bruising stretch for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and it is only Wednesday. What began as a dispute over police protection for a family trip has snowballed into a full-blown political crisis, complete with a halted tax, soaring rents, and bipartisan calls to keep the mayor away from a solemn commemoration.
NYPD Pushback on First Lady’s Trip
The New York Post reported Monday that Rama Duwaji, the city’s first lady, expected to bring along members of her taxpayer-funded NYPD security detail on a trip to Syria and Lebanon later this month. The NYPD was quick to shut that down. A spokesperson said Tuesday that the department does not send officers to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons unrelated to investigative work.
Mamdani blamed a miscommunication, telling PIX11: “There was a miscommunication. She has not yet taken that trip and when she takes that trip it will be without any NYPD detail.” But a source told the Post that the mayor’s office never consulted the police commissioner before making the request.
Rents Hit Record High
Amid the political turbulence, Manhattan rents have climbed to an all-time high of $6,655 per month—a 10% jump from a year ago. Real estate professionals are pointing to Mamdani’s proposed rent freeze on stabilized units and his planned pied-à-terre tax as contributing factors, alongside a record-low number of vacant apartments across the city.
Court Blocks Pied-à-Terre Tax
This week, a local judge temporarily blocked Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax, a surcharge on high-value properties owned by non-primary residents that was set to take effect this month. Supreme Court Judge Wayne Ozzi cited the administration’s botched rollout, which incorrectly ensnared nearly one million properties and shifted the burden of proof onto property owners—many of whom are longtime city residents.
Rabbis Urge Toned-Down Rhetoric
In a private meeting, a group of rabbis urged the mayor to moderate what they called his “anti-Israel messaging,” according to ABC-7 New York. The meeting, with rabbis hand-picked by the mayor’s office, came as part of an effort to ease strained relations with Jewish leaders.
GOP Senators Push for 9/11 Ban
Republican Senators Tim Sheehy and John Kennedy have joined an effort to bar Mamdani from the 25th anniversary ceremony of the September 11 attacks, according to Fox Business. A petition with 84,000 signatures already demands that he stay away. Even Michael LaRosa, former press secretary to Jill Biden, supports the ban, calling Mamdani’s rhetoric a “lightning rod” for the families of the 2,753 people killed in the attacks.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Mamdani’s honeymoon with New York is over, citing fraying relations with local politicians and a series of rookie missteps. As one commentator put it on X, the mayor’s troubles were predictable, given his policies. With two days left in the week, the fallout is far from over.
Source: pjmedia.com — https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/08/12/mamdani-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-week-and-its-only-wednesday-n4956060
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