Mamdani sworn in as New York mayor

Left-wing Democrat Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York mayor at the start of 2026, vowing cost-of-living reforms.

Transcript

00:00Zoran Mamdani has been sworn in as mayor of New York City,

00:05beginning a term expected to bring early political confrontation with President Donald Trump.

00:10Just after midnight and as 2026 begins,

00:13Mamdani took his oath of office at an abandoned subway station during a private ceremony,

00:19formally assuming leadership of the nation's largest city.

00:23At 34, he becomes New York's first Muslim mayor,

00:26a milestone in the city's long and diverse political history.

00:30Speaking after the ceremony, Mamdani described the moment as the greatest honour and privilege of his life.

00:38Yet significant questions remain over whether the once little-known Democrat

00:42can deliver on an ambitious agenda focused on affordability and public services.

00:48His proposals include rent freezes, universal childcare and free public bus travel,

00:54policies likely to test both political backing and the city's finances.

00:59The role of President Trump may prove critical.

01:02While he has frequently criticised Mamdani,

01:04the two held unexpectedly cordial talks at the White House in November,

01:08a dynamic that could shape the mayor's early months in office.

01:11The law of the law is wheat.