New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has responded to Vice President JD Vance’s claims about the Trump administration’s achievements in New York with a brief video that has attracted widespread attention online.
Vance shared a post on X on Monday, November 2, listing what he described as the administration’s accomplishments for the city and state.
These included safer communities, tax cuts for working families and “historic investments” in New York. He ended the post by writing, “We got your back, New York!”
However, the claims faced scrutiny after an X Community Note challenged several figures, arguing that some investments were nationwide pledges rather than New York-specific results.
It also disputed the attribution of a reported 48% drop in murders, linking the figure to New York’s state-run GIVE programme.
Mamdani then responded with a 9-second video featuring online prankster Olly Bee, who describes himself as the “worlds hardest worker”.
Originally posted by Bee in December 2025, the clip shows him wearing a high-visibility vest and appearing to help a subway train stop, open its doors, welcome passengers, close the doors and continue its journey.
Mamdani shared the footage without adding an explanation, leaving viewers to interpret the apparent joke as a dig at Vance’s claims.
The video quickly gained traction, with one Reddit user describing the exchange as a “brutal” response to the vice president.
Bee also welcomed the unexpected attention, writing in an Instagram Story, “HOLY SH*T @zohrankmamdani LETS COLLAB PLEASE”.
Zohran Mamdani has been the 112th mayor of New York City since January 1, 2026. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, he represented the 36th district in the New York State Assembly from 2021 to 2025. Mamdani is New York City’s first Muslim and first Asian American mayor.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, to parents of Indian descent, Mamdani moved to New York City at seven years old and graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies. After graduation, he worked as a housing counselor and rapper, and entered New York City politics as a volunteer for Ali Najmi’s 2015 City Council campaign, later managing Ross Barkan’s 2018 State Senate campaign. He was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, defeating five-term incumbent Aravella Simotas in the Democratic primary. Representing Astoria and Long Island City, he was reelected without opposition in 2022 and 2024.
J.D. Vance was selected as Trump’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election and resigned from the Senate before his inauguration as vice president. He became the first Marine Corps veteran, the first Iraq War veteran, and first millennial in U.S. history to serve as vice president. During his tenure as vice president, he has also served as finance chair of the Republican National Committee. He has been described as a national conservative and right-wing populist, aligning himself with the “postliberal” New Right movement.
Vance opposes immigration, abortion, childlessness, gender-affirming care for minors, and gun control. He often cites Catholic theology as an influence on his views, but both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV have criticized him for misrepresenting church teachings. Vance has also been a strong supporter of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
