New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has drawn sharp condemnation from conservative and right-wing circles in the United States after two events this week: a press conference where a tenant union representative described evictions as “violence,” and a visit to the Rikers Island jail complex to watch a World Cup semifinal with inmates. The reactions, amplified on social media, have ranged from mockery to accusations that the mayor is prioritising criminals over law-abiding residents, and have further polarised debate over his housing and criminal-justice agenda.

At a Thursday press conference, Antonia Marrero of the Housing Organizers for People Empowerment (HOPE) Tenant Union declared that “we no longer tolerate the violence of evictions as a matter of business as usual,” with Mamdani standing behind her. The event marked the release of a “Rental Ripoff Report” that proposes 23 measures, including recognising tenant unions and modernising code enforcement. Conservative commentators in the US immediately seized on the language: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called it “theatre of the absurd,” while a Heritage Foundation fellow likened the scene to a Batman movie. The mayor’s office did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital, but the report itself frames the proposals as a response to testimony from thousands of New Yorkers about untreated mould, pests and unexplained fees.

Days earlier, Mamdani spent part of the Argentina-England semifinal inside a Rikers Island gymnasium, where more than 100 inmates watched the match as part of a jail programme that rewards incident-free behaviour. Correction officials say nearly 90 such screenings have been held during the tournament, with around 4,500 of the roughly 6,600 inmates participating. The mayor removed his jacket, sat among the men and told them they “are New Yorkers today.” The visit drew online attacks from users who accused him of “palling around with criminals,” and it revived scrutiny of his past statements questioning the purpose of prisons. Viewed from New York, the Rikers programme is presented by Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards — himself a former inmate — as a safety measure: “Programs like this equal safety in our jail.”

The twin episodes have deepened an existing rift between Mamdani’s administration and his critics. Since taking office, the mayor has frozen rents on stabilised leases, cut the police budget by about $22 million, and expanded childcare and tenant protections — moves that, according to analysts in New York, have drawn hostility from MAGA-aligned figures and some business interests. President Donald Trump has called Mamdani’s democratic socialism a “nightmare,” and some Republican members of Congress have questioned his citizenship. Meanwhile, rents in Manhattan and Brooklyn have hit record highs, and conservative commentators argue that immigration-driven demand is worsening the affordability crisis the mayor campaigned to ease. The Mamdani administration has not announced any change in course, and the housing report’s proposals are expected to be debated in the city council in the coming weeks.