In a recent critique, CNN’s Van Jones expressed disappointment with Zohran Mamdani’s victory speech, describing it as a missed chance to convey a hopeful message to the American public. The newly elected New York mayor used the opportunity to criticize political figures like Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo, expressing a desire for it to be the last time he mentions Cuomo. Jones suggested that the confrontational tone Mamdani adopted in the speech diverged from the more positive messaging that had secured his leadership win, cautioning that such rhetoric might hinder his future political prospects.

“I believe he missed an opportunity,” Jones remarked. “The Mamdani we saw during the campaign trail—calmer, warmer, and more inclusive—was absent in that speech. That version of Mamdani is who should have addressed us tonight. Many are evaluating whether they can align with him, questioning if they’ll be included or if he’ll continue to play the class warrior even in office. He missed a chance to reach out and welcome more people into his fold. His tone was sharp, and he used the microphone in a manner that almost came across as shouting.”

Jones further noted, “That’s not the Mamdani we’ve become familiar with through platforms like TikTok and engaging interviews.” Despite these comments, Mamdani secured a decisive victory with 50.4% of the votes, surpassing former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who garnered 41.6%, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, who received 7.1%. During his fiery speech, Mamdani also targeted his political adversaries, including a direct jab at the White House. “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up!” he declared.

‘If any city can show a nation how to stop Donald Trump, it is the city that gave rise to him,’ said Mamdani, who represents a district in the same borough of Queens where the President was raised. ‘So, if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power. This is not only how we stop Trump, it’s how we stop the next one.’ But the speech failed to impress CNN pundit Jones, who said he hoped Mamdani would have offered a message of unity instead of attacking others.

‘I felt like it was a little bit of a character switch here, where the warm, open, embracing guy that’s close to working people was not on stage tonight,’ the panelist said. ‘And there were some other voice on stage. That said, he’s very young. And he just pulled off something very, very difficult. ‘And I wouldn’t write him off, but I think he missed an opportunity to open himself up tonight. And I think that that will probably cost him going forward.’

Mamdani’s victory capped a clean sweep for Democrats in the few big races of this off-year election, as Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia easily won governor’s races. Governor Gavin Newsom’s Prop 50 campaign, which will redraw California’s congressional map and likely hand the Democrats five extra House of Representatives seats, also passed. In the wake of his victory, Newsom urged Blue states across the nation to follow his lead and redraw their congressional maps to counter Trump’s efforts.

Newsom said the plan could ‘de facto end Donald Trump’s presidency’ by the 2026 midterms, preventing the White House from instating many of its policies if Democrats retake the House. ‘It is all on the line,’ he said. ‘We need to see other states, with their remarkable leaders that have been doing remarkable things, meet this moment head-on as well. Republican Curtis Sliwa fell to just 7.1 percent support in the race despite polling near Cuomo during the campaign.

He slammed Cuomo’s wealthy backers for hurting his campaign in the final stretch as he grew emotional in his concession speech. ‘The Masters of the Universe, the billionaires, decided that I should not have the right to represent all of you,’ Sliwa said. ‘To be the voice of the voiceless, the working class people who are the backbone of this city.’ Sliwa alleged that he had been offered $10 million to drop his campaign to help former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s candidacy, but told his supporters: ‘I do not have a price.’

The Republican had been accused of helping Mamdani’s campaign by siphoning off votes from Cuomo. But Sliwa excoriated Mamdani in his final speech, warning him not to enact a raft of far-left policies that experts have said could cripple the city’s economy. ‘Let me warn our new leader, if you try to implement socialism, if you try to render our police weak and impotent, if you forsake the people’s public safety, we’re not only organizing, but we are mobilizing,’ he said. ‘We will become the mayor-elect and his supporters’ worst enemy.’