He’s an actual prima-dani.
Social media-savvy Mayor Zohran Mamdani is creating a repute IRL as “thin-skinned” and hyper-sensitive to public criticism, regardless of hyping himself on-line as a smiling and unflappable politician, scores of insiders spilled to The Publish.
Behind the scenes, Hizzoner huffily badgers critics who dare query him publicly, harbors petty grudges towards distinguished pols and infrequently solely responds to texts when he’s miffed about unhealthy press, in keeping with interviews with greater than a dozen elected officers, consultants and different politicos.
“I see increasingly he can not deal with criticism, however primarily from elected officers who he thinks he can push round,” one political guide stated.
“The mayor personally reaches out when electeds criticizes him publicly. In the event that they communicate, then he cares. He cares as a result of he doesn’t need unhealthy press. It reveals a sensitivity.”
The insiders who spoke with The Publish about Mamdani requested to stay nameless to keep away from crossing a sensitive mayor with whom they need to deal over issues of governance and politics.
His reputed simmering irritation not too long ago boiled over after metropolis Jewish leaders known as on him to “cease fanning the flames of hatred” towards Israel within the wake of an alleged antisemitic stabbing assault on the Higher West Facet.
Sources stated the mayor personally known as not less than one elected official who attended the information convention, complaining about being informed to tone down his rhetoric — and upset that their exhortation was linked to his video branding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “conflict prison,” which was posted days earlier than the assault.
The controversial two-minute clip, delivered direct-to-camera by a sober Mamdani sitting at a desk in entrance of the US and New York Metropolis flags, garnered an unimaginable 100 million views throughout social media platforms.
His mastery of social media platforms reminiscent of TikTok and Instagram, the place he now, respectively, has 3.5 million and 11.9 million followers, largely fueled Mamdani’s meteoric rise throughout 2025 from little-known state lawmaker to the Massive Apple’s subsequent mayor — and, thus, a typical bearer for the nationally ascendant Democratic Socialists of America.
He bombarded New Yorkers’ feeds with slick, entertaining movies wherein he affably pressed his marketing campaign’s core message of affordability, reminiscent of when he highlighted “halalflation” on the metropolis’s road meals carts.
After taking workplace in January, Mamdani maintained his image-conscious methods by pouring $53 million right into a new “Workplace of Mass Engagement,” an growth of his already huge communications staff that critics argue is a propaganda organ for Metropolis Corridor.
He additionally usually drops new movies, from an arguably ill-advised clip filmed exterior billionaire hedge fund titan Ken Griffin’s $200 million rental to hype the DSA “tax the wealthy” agenda to a 13-minute documentary this week about tenants organizing towards their do-nothing landlord.
Defending the DSA motion’s burgeoning political energy seems to be the supply of a lot Mamdani touchiness, insiders stated.
One other Democratic operative stated Mamdani is “robust on employees,” usually holding late-night conferences in Gracie Mansion together with his DSA comrades.
“He’s the primary DSA (mayor) in order that they have to indicate he can handle town, and any time somebody places a dent in that it hurts their trigger,” a authorities insider stated.
However sources revealed that Mamdani additionally obsesses over even the potential for unhealthy media protection, reminiscent of when Queens Borough President Donovan Richards in July slammed the DSA as “white supremacy” in an X publish.
Sources stated Mamdani tried to nip a detrimental story within the bud by having a staffer attain out to Richards’ workplace to take down the publish. Richards left the publish up, resulting in a Publish story highlighting the rift between Mamdani’s largely lily-white DSA comrades and minority lawmakers such because the borough president.
“He’s so thin-skinned and reads all the pieces,” one Metropolis Council member stated.
“His safety blanket is his cellphone and the dopamine from what number of likes he will get on a publish,” a Democratic operative scoffed. “Appears to maintain him going.”
Posts that harshed Mamdani’s mellow additionally included Metropolis Councilwoman Virginia Maloney (D-Manhattan) rebutting the mayor’s declare {that a} funds proposal by lawmakers reduce providers with a lashing, “I do know math is tough.”
Maloney’s sarcastic publish on X apparently drew Mamdani’s ire, and he reached out to her, sources stated.
“That Virginia Maloney tweet actually received underneath their pores and skin,” a supply stated amid the spat.
He likewise reached out to elected officers who slammed him over a proposed almost 10% property tax enhance, insiders stated.
As The Publish reported final week, Mamdani fumed in silence as he was snubbed from eulogizing Military Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad at her funeral in Queens final Friday.
One Democratic insider stated Mamdani treats those that cross him with a “chilly demeanor,” terse in responses and never his regular smiling self. In distinction to his regular smiley and affable public method, even to foes like his surprising texting bud President Trump and within the face of boos, like those he obtained throughout an anti-crime occasion on Staten Island this week.
A number of sources stated they found that one sure-fire solution to get Mamdani’s and his staff’s consideration — and a reply — shall be detrimental information protection or a essential social media publish.
“They solely reply when it’s a disaster for them and teaches disaster ranges within the press, however earlier than that they don’t return calls, texts or emails,” a Democratic operative stated.
“He has been identified to carry grudges towards whoever challenges him or his positions for even among the smallest of slights, and people folks get despatched to the again of the road except he wants one thing.”
Some insiders did credit score the youthful Mamdani, 34, for being engaged in backroom dealings and acknowledging his limits. The mayor carries himself with “humility,” a union supply stated.
“He asks a number of questions. Seeks to know the problems he’s missing familiarity with,” the supply stated.
“He does extra listening than speaking. That’s unusual within the political realm.”
Mamdani’s senior spokeswoman Dora Pekec stated in a press release: “The mayor’s focus has and at all times shall be how finest to ship for New Yorkers and he sees our metropolis and state elected officers as worthwhile companions in constructing a safer and extra reasonably priced metropolis.”
Metropolis Corridor officers conducting harm management isn’t new, however insiders stated Mamdani is rapidly exhibiting himself to be much more delicate to media protection than his notoriously whiny groundhog-killing predecessor Invoice de Blasio.
Mamdani ought to give attention to the job, slightly than a “first-term council member tweeting” about him, snarked Fabien Levy, former Mayor Eric Adams’ chief mouthpiece.
“This administration is extra on Twitter, Instagram or TikTok than in all probability some other politician within the county, however to steal an Eric Adams-ism: it’s not what’s within the tweets, it’s what’s within the streets,” Levy stated.
