Trump issues warning on communism after Mamdani wins MYC mayoral election
Campus Reform reporter Emily Sturge joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss President Donald Trump's warning, why young voters supported Zohran Mamdani in the election and more.
FIRST ON FOX: An Empire State Republican is criticizing New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani for his attendance at a conference in Puerto Rico, days after winning his race and during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
"If Zohran Mamdani is truly serious about helping working families, he wouldn’t be jetting off to a luxury resort the moment he wins an election," Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., first told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital confirmed that Mamdani is expected to travel to the 2025 SOMOS Conference in Puerto Rico on Thursday.
Mamdani is attending a cocktail reception on Thursday hosted by New York's Democrat Attorney General Letitia James per a schedule of the visit obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Zohran Mamdani speaks during a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party in New York, Nov. 4, 2025. (Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)
Lawler questioned whether Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul were also attending.
"If so, why? Who’s looking out for New Yorkers while they’re on the beach?" Lawler asked of Mamdani and the other Democrats mentioned.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., whom Lawler also named, is not attending the conference.
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's campaign as well as the offices of Schumer, Jeffries and Hochul to inquire about their attendance but did not immediately hear back.
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Rep. Mike Lawler leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference in Washington, March 4, 2025. (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)
"It’s a disgrace — and why New Yorkers are leaving this state in droves. I’m calling on every reporter covering SOMOS to demand answers from these Democrats," Lawler said. "Ask them why they’re partying in Puerto Rico while New Yorkers are suffering through an affordability crisis and a government shutdown. The public deserves to know where their priorities really lie."
The annual SOMOS conference acts as a policy summit for New York officials and others in the state's political sphere. Both Republicans and Democrats have been known to attend.
This year, the event is taking place at the El Caribe Hilton in San Juan.
The hotel's website bills it as an "iconic beachfront paradise" with "17 acres of tropical landscaping, nine restaurants, island-inspired rooms, spa, and oceanfront pool complex, all right on the beach."
A photo of the El Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from the hotel's photo gallery. (Hilton Hotels Website)
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The multi-day conference includes multiple receptions and luncheons, and panels such as "Celebrating Human Services Together" and "Workforce Development Through Rising Communities," according to its schedule.
Saturday, which appears to be the final day, ends with a "Toes in the Sand Beachfront Party."
Mamdani, a socialist who ran on the Democratic Party ticket, defeated Republican Curtis Sliwa and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday night to become one of the youngest mayors in modern city history.
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