Viral video sparks outrage as critics claim NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani made ‘Nazi Salute’

In the brief clip, Mamdani is seen raising his arms momentarily while addressing supporters, a gesture that some users on X compared to a similar action by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk last year.

The video sparked sharp reactions from conservative commentators online. A Republican-aligned social media handle, MAGA Voice, wrote on X: “I AM SHAKING… ZOHRAN MAMDANI JUST DID A NAZI SALUTE. RULES ARE RULES. CANCEL HIM.”

Conservative influencer Brandon Straka claimed, “Zohran Mamdani did the same exact gesture today at his swearing-in that the left called a ‘Nazi salute’ when @elonmusk did it.”

Another user, Eric Daugherty, posted: “HOLY CRAP! Zohran Mamdani just did the EXACT SAME gesture as Elon Musk. When Elon does it, it’s a ‘Nazi salute.’ When communist Zohran does it, the media is silent. The media is the enemy of the people.”

Mamdani has not commented publicly on the allegations so far.

The controversy comes at a moment of historic significance for New York City, which entered 2026 under a mayoral administration unlike any in its long political history.

Mamdani, the city’s newly elected mayor, broke with centuries of civic tradition by taking his oath of office on the Quran—inside a long-abandoned subway station beneath City Hall. The unprecedented ceremony immediately set him apart, signalling a leadership style steeped in symbolism, inclusion, and a reimagining of how power connects with everyday New Yorkers.

At just 34, Mamdani is the youngest mayor New York City has seen in a century, as well as its first Muslim mayor and first mayor of South Asian descent. His swearing-in ceremony reflected those milestones, blending faith, history and urban infrastructure into a broader statement about the city’s evolving identity.