Zohran Mamdani secured a historic victory in the New York City mayoral race yesterday, but the 34-year-old had a very surprising career before he turned to politics.
The Ugandan-born politician will become the first Muslim man and first South Asian to govern New York when he is sworn in on 1 January, but he's already causing controversy thanks to his comments towards the president.
Mamdani promised to be Donald Trump's 'worst nightmare' should he be voted in, which may well have played a part in him getting so many votes, and he's already spoken out about the 'dangerous' new mayor following his recent success.
He posted on Truth Social saying: "And so it begins," and he's since said that the choice between the Republican and Democratic parties is now a choice between 'communism and common sense'.
Advert
Trump added: "Our opponents are offering an economic nightmare, and we are offering an economic miracle. They put America last, we put America first."
When Mamdani wasn't rattling rich politicians and celebrities with his promised plans for raised corporate taxes and a new tax on those who earn more than $1 million per year, he was doing something very different.
Mamdani is just 34 and only moved into politics a few years ago, previously spending time as a rapper, which is even funnier when you consider his ongoing feud with 50 Cent.
The Democratic Socialist performed as Young Cardamom, and later Mr. Cardamom, telling the New York Times in 2019 that he needed to 'drop the act' that he's young.
His song 'Nani', which is dedicated to his grandmother and sadly not the former Manchester United winger, went viral when he announced his plans to run for mayor, but we're still waiting on a live performance to mark his victory.
The rap career was never likely to go far but it did show that he doesn't take himself particularly seriously, a rare and likeable quality in a politician.
However, his rap career is perhaps not even the strangest thing from Mamdani's past, as he's even featured as an actor in a Disney film, which was directed by his mother, Mira Nair.
.webp)
The successful Indian-American filmmaker is best known for Salaam Bombay!, Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake and Vanity Fair, and she was even reportedly offered the chance to direct Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
While we don't always love nepo babies, Mamdani's role in the 2016 film Queen of Katwe wasn't more than a brief cameo, even if some eagle-eyed fans might have realised it was him.
Perhaps that's one thing that he and Trump can bond over, after the president's memorable cameo in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, even if Mamdani has only ever won in New York.
Topics: Donald Trump
James Moorhouse