'Stop this horror': Jon Voight begs Trump to remove Mamdani
What's the story
Hollywood actor Jon Voight has appealed to US President Donald Trump to "terminate" the election of New York City's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. In a two-minute video posted on social media, the Oscar-winner called Mamdani's victory a "horror" that could destroy New York's wealth and turn it into a socialist city. Voight was appointed as Trump's special ambassador to Hollywood in the first days of his second term.
Actor's warning
Voight's concerns over Mamdani's election
Voight, who resides in Beverly Hills, California, expressed his fears that New York would become a "refugee shelter for the radical Muslim ideology" under Mamdani's leadership. He also claimed that the days after Mamdani's election have been "the most dangerous time for our citizens." The actor erroneously referred to the 34-year-old mayor-elect as a "communist," a label that Mamdani has denied by calling himself a "democratic socialist."
Misconceptions
Voight's call to action and misunderstanding of presidential power
Voight continued his speech by saying, "This must be stopped and his mayoralty should be terminated immediately." To note, the president's office does not have the legal authority to directly remove a New York City mayor from office. Mamdani won the election with a majority vote against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary. Mamdani will assume office on January 1.