Mamdani mocked by GOP for telling New Yorkers to set thermostats to 78

Republicans are criticizing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) after he suggested residents set their thermostats to 78 degrees to help conserve energy in the city as it braces for triple-digit temperatures this weekend. 

“New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool. Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can,” Mamdani wrote on the social platform X late afternoon Wednesday.

Conservative lawmakers and pundits linked the recommendation from the city’s first democratic socialist mayor to victories over the last two weeks by other democratic socialist candidates, arguing it is another example of Democrats embracing “socialism” or “communism.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Mamdani’s remarks are “Proof that communism is (unfortunately) alive and well.” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said, “This is Communism at work,” while Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said, “The Socialist Democrats are coming for your AC.”

“This is the future that WOKE Democrats want not just for NYC but for South Carolina too!” Graham added, responding to Mamdani’s post.

Recommending that thermostats be set at 78 degrees to reduce energy use, however, isn’t terribly unusual — including from agencies run by the GOP.

Earlier on Thursday, one reporter noted that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which reports to President Trump, was recommending a 75-78 degree setting “for energy efficiency.” By Thursday afternoon, the recommendation appeared to have been deleted from the agency’s........

© The Hill