AOC insists ‘we are not the crazy ones’ at radical-left rally for Zohran Mamdani

The event drew thousands of supporters as Mamdani delivered a fiery speech declaring, “We climbed the polls faster than Andrew Cuomo could dial Donald Trump’s number,” per footage from Freedom News TV.

Ocasio-Cortez, during the course of her speech at the radical left rally, insisted, “We are not the crazy ones,” and that their far-left policies are not “outlandish.”

"They want us to think we are crazy. We are sane to demand affordable and decent housing, a decent wage, the right to health care, that we pay to care for our people instead of the flattening of Palestinians and oppressed people abroad,” Ocasio-Cortez added.

However, Mamdani’s proposals include programs that have failed elsewhere in the country, such as free public buses, freezing the rent, and city-run grocery store. He claimed during the rally these policies would make New York “a city that works for the many, not the few.”

Sanders praised Mamdani as “modeling a different kind of politics,” telling the crowd that his campaign represented hope for “working people tired of billionaire control.” Ocasio-Cortez, speaking before Sanders, framed the race as part of a broader national battle against what she called “an authoritarian criminal presidency fueled by corruption and bigotry.”

Mamdani, a self-identified democratic socialist, thanked Sanders for “daring to stand alone for so long,” adding, “I speak the language of democratic socialism only because he spoke it first.” The crowd repeatedly broke into chants of “DSA! DSA!” for Democratic Socialists of America, and “Tax the rich!” the slogan for Mamdani’s plan to fund programs through higher corporate and income taxes.

The rally also underscored ongoing tension between New York’s progressive movement and the state’s Democratic establishment. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who reluctantly endorsed Mamdani last month, was loudly heckled during her remarks. Mamdani has yet to endorse her for governor.

On Friday, following months of hesitation from party leaders, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Mamdani. At the same time, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has yet to do so, showing the fracture within Democratic leadership.

Mamdani’s defeat of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary stunned party insiders, prompting Cuomo to mount an independent run. Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa has faced pressure to drop out of the race and consolidate anti-socialist votes behind Cuomo.

The race has also caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who has branded Mamdani “a 100 percent Communist lunatic” and “my little communist.”

A recent Fox News poll shows Mamdani leading the three-way race with 49 percent of registered voters and 52 percent among likely voters. “On November 4th, we set ourselves free,” Mamdani told the crowd. “This is our city, and it’s not for sale.”