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Agence France-Presse

Zohran Mamdani, the young upstart of the US left, was sworn in on Thursday to take over as New York mayor for a term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump.
After the clocks struck midnight, bringing in 2026, Mamdani took his oath of office at an abandoned subway stop to begin managing the United States’ largest city. He is New York’s first Muslim mayor.
His office said the understated venue beneath City Hall reflected his commitment to working people, after the 34-year-old Democrat campaigned on promises to address the soaring cost of living.
“This is truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani told reporters after taking his oath by placing his hand on a Koran.

But it remains to be seen if Mamdani - virtually unknown a year ago - can deliver on his ambitious agenda, which envisions rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses.
Once an election is over, “symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more,” New York University lecturer John Kane said.
How Trump behaves could be a decisive factor.
The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticised Mamdani, but the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November.
Lincoln Mitchell, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University, said the meeting “couldn’t have gone better from Mamdani’s perspective”.
But he warned their relationship could quickly sour.

One flashpoint might be immigration raids as Trump wages an expanding crackdown on migrants across the United States.
Mamdani has vowed to protect immigrant communities.
Before the November vote, the president also threatened to slash federal funding for New York if it picked Mamdani, whom he called a “communist lunatic”.
The mayor has said he believes Trump is a fascist.
Mamdani’s private swearing-in to start his four-year term was performed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud.
A larger, ceremonial inauguration was scheduled later Thursday with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Around 4,000 ticketed guests were expected to attend the event outside City Hall.
Mamdani’s team has also organised a block party that it said would enable tens of thousands of people to watch the ceremony at streetside viewing areas along Broadway.
The new job comes with a change of address as Mamdani swaps his rent-controlled flat in the borough of Queens for the luxurious mayor’s residence in Manhattan.
Some had wondered if he and his wife, Rama Duwaji, would move to the official mansion given his campaigning on affordability issues. Mamdani said he was doing so mainly for security reasons.
In addition to being the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor in generations.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an academic and author. His family moved to New York City when he was 7, with Mamdani growing up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims did not always feel welcome. He became an American citizen in 2018.
Additional reporting by Associated Press


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Zohran Mamdani takes over as New York mayor in the era of Trump

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani after taking the oath of office. Photo: AP

New York Attorney General Letitia James administers the oath of office to Zohran Mamdani next to his wife Rama Duwaji. Photo: AP

Zohran Mamdani visiting US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in November. Photo: AFP

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Mamdani sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Koran as he took his oath


Mamdani sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Koran as he took his oath.


Zohran Mamdani takes over as New York mayor in the era of Trump

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Mamdani sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Koran as he took his oath

Mamdani sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Koran as he took his oath