October 13, 2026 | The Wall Street Journal
Mamdani Has a Global Ego
The mayor wants to act like a head of state. But New York can’t set U.S. foreign policy.
October 13, 2026 | The Wall Street Journal
Mamdani Has a Global Ego
The mayor wants to act like a head of state. But New York can’t set U.S. foreign policy.
Excerpt
Since coming to office, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made foreign affairs an increasingly visible part of his administration. A recent report finds that the deputy commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs has worked with Defend Democracy in Brazil, an organization that has collaborated with groups funded by Marxist activist Neville Roy Singham.
The findings raise questions about the people and ideas Mr. Mamdani is bringing into City Hall’s international-affairs office. They also raise a more basic question about the role that operation should play. While the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs is hardly new, Mr. Mamdani is testing the limits of a mayor’s authority on the international stage.
Ms. Wahba is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.