{"id":179235,"date":"2026-03-30T00:37:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T00:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/179235\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T00:37:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T00:37:08","slug":"mamdani-skips-bernie-sanders-bronx-tax-the-rich-rally-as-tensions-over-lefty-legislation-mount-with-gov-hochul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/179235\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani skips Bernie Sanders’ Bronx ‘Tax the Rich’ rally as tensions over lefty legislation mount with Gov. Hochul"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lefties turned out in droves for Sunday\u2019s \u201cTax the Rich\u201d rally featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders in The Bronx \u2014 but Mayor Mamdani refused to show face as he walks a tightrope with Gov. Hochul<\/a> over taxes.<\/p>\n

At least 1,000 people filled Lehman College\u2019s sprawling performing arts center, where Sanders (I-Vt.) spent nearly an hour pushing his own proposal targeting the wealthy.<\/p>\n

\u201cA few years ago, it was estimated that Elon Musk, the wealthiest man alive, paid an effective tax rate of less than 3.3%, while the average truck driver in America paid an effective tax rate of 8.4%,\u201d Bernie told the crowd, which answered with agreeing boos and chants of \u201cShame! Shame!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sen. Bernie Sanders took Gov. Hochul to task over \u201cTax the Rich\u201d policies at his rally in the Bronx Sunday. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what the mayor of New York City is fighting for,\u201d said Sanders, 84.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll over this country, in New York state, and here in New York City, the American people are demanding a tax system which is progressive, which is fair, and demands those people who have the much, who have the most, start paying their fair share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanders has been pushing for an extra 5% tax nationwide on anybody worth $1 billion or more \u2014 a move resembling the 2% proposed extra tax on New Yorkers earning $1 million or more that Mamdani has been pressuring Hochul to approve since taking office in January.<\/p>\n

Hochul \u2014 the only real stumbling block to pass the Mamdani tax \u2014 has come right out and said she would not support such legislation, leading to a diplomatic dance between the state\u2019s two most powerful leaders as June budget deadlines and November elections loom.<\/p>\n

Mayor Mamdani declined to join the rally in the Bronx on Sunday, with Sanders calling out Hochul in his stead. Kevin C Downs for NY Post<\/p>\n

That dance was put on full display Sunday<\/a> when Mamdani declined to join his socialist banner-waver Sanders onstage and instead left the lieutenants to make his pitch for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would ask Gov. Hochul listen to where the people are at,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cThe people of this city, the people of this state, the people of this country, do not want to see our kids go hungry. Do not want to see people sleep out on the street lack health care.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey want the very rich to start paying their fair share of taxes,\u201d he said. \u201cI would hope that the governor joins the vast majority of the people who want to see that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The past two months have seen periods of tension and detente between Mamdani and the gov.<\/p>\n

Hochul in February funneled more than a billion dollars to New York City to help offset a its budget deficit, while Mamdani just days later threatened to hike Big Apple property taxes by nearly 10% if Hochul wouldn\u2019t sign his tax on the wealthy to gain even more revenue.<\/p>\n

But Mamdani also endorsed Hochul\u2019s bid for re-election in the fall \u2014 and some have speculated she is simply waiting to win her seat back before signing the mayor\u2019s controversial tax into law, as many state lawmakers have voiced support for the measure.<\/p>\n

Rally attendees called on Hochul to back Sanders\u2019 and Mamdani\u2019s plans to tax the rich at the Bronx rally Sunday. Tomas E. Gaston for NY Post<\/p>\n

Liberals who turned out to cheer on Sanders on Sunday did their part pushing Mamdani\u2019s agenda on Hochul in his stead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to say Gov. Hochul \u2014 you are the governor because of these people,\u201d 52-year-old Bronx resident Rowshon Sharker told The Post.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese people voted for you.<\/p>\n

\u201cMamdani trying to do his job, but we are the part of the people,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are here to say the words. We elected Mamdani for our basic needs, right, universal child care, housing and every point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaders from Mamdani\u2019s Democratic Socialists of America also took up the mayor\u2019s cause<\/a> to take Hochul to task.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is a public servant, and she owes us the decency of listening to us,\u201d said city DSA co-Chair Grace Mausser.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people of New York have put her there, and the people of New York want to tax and rich. So if she wants to stay in office, she should do it. too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some attendees seemed unfazed by Mamdani\u2019s absence at the rally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a history of working an inside-outside strategy with all of our electives for years at this point, and we don\u2019t take orders from the mayor,\u201d said Mausser\u2019s DSA co-chair, Gustavo Gordillo.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here to build an agitational movement that\u2019s going to force the governor to tax the rich, and that\u2019s what the mayor wants as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to tell Hochul she needs to choose a side, whether she\u2019s on the side of the working class in New York or on the side of the billionaires and the 1%\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lefties turned out in droves for Sunday\u2019s \u201cTax the Rich\u201d rally featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders in The Bronx…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179236,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[5057,128,426,57,9,24,63,166,2780,129,131,130,58,82],"class_list":["post-179235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-bronx","tag-bernie-sanders","tag-bronx","tag-kathy-hochul","tag-metro","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-rallies","tag-taxes","tag-the-bronx","tag-the-bronx-headlines","tag-the-bronx-news","tag-us-news","tag-zohran-mamdani"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179235\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}