Hochul Drowned Out at Mamdani Rally with AOC, Sanders

At the “New York Is Not for Sale” rally in Forest Hills, Queens, supporters of mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani repeatedly chanted “Tax the rich!” and drowned out Gov. Kathy Hochul when she took the stage, prompting Mamdani to bring her onstage and raise her hand to calm the crowd. The event, attended by roughly 10,000–13,000 people and featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, underscored sharp divisions within the Democratic Party. Mamdani is proposing a millionaire surtax and higher corporate rates targeting the top 1% and corporations to fund programs such as universal childcare, changes that would require state approval and have met resistance from Hochul. Hochul, who has endorsed Mamdani despite reservations, said she initially thought the noise was a “Let’s go Bills” chant and stressed her role in unifying Democrats. Commentators called the episode politically awkward for Hochul; Mamdani urged supporters to keep mobilizing ahead of the Nov. 4 election while Hochul said she wanted to harness the crowd’s energy for the campaign.