The Warmth of Collectivism? Mamdani Asks New Yorkers to Turn Up Their Thermostats, Ration Energy

As Europeans flood America for the World Cup and discover the miracles of the United States — like, say, effective air conditioning, which has been A Thing™ on this continent for well over a half-century — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants us to embrace the attitude of the European elite.

Or, as perhaps Mamdani himself might have phrased it, “the warmth of collectivism.”

Those of you in and around New York City know that it’s warm. It’s already a hot day in Gotham when it feels like 100 degrees. It’s a really hot day when it feels like that at 1 a.m., which it did on Thursday morning. (The actual temperature was 84, but with 93 percent humidity, that’s hot.)

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for the five boroughs until 9 p.m. Saturday. “Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities,” the warning read. “New York City residents should call 311 to identify cooling center locations and obtain ‘Beat the Heat’ safety tips.”

The mayor’s “Beat the Heat” safety tip? Don’t.

“New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool,” Mamdani said on his mayoral account.

“Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can. Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand, asking private partners to do the same, and powering down non-essential equipment.”

New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool.

Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can.

Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings,…

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 1, 2026

Now, two things to note here. First, according to AccuWeather, while the number of people who are without power in the United States at the moment is over 100,000, that’s “not highly unusual for this time of year,” and is partially related to storms in the Midwest and Great Lakes region. I know that there is a tendency for collectivists to absorb as much power and control as they can, but last I checked, Mayor Mamdani and Gracie Mansion had not launched an irredentist campaign to make Ohio the sixth borough. (I probably shouldn’t give him ideas.)

Second, the U.S. Department of Energy has already activated plans “to mitigate blackout risks in the Mid-Atlantic ahead of the region’s predicted record-breaking peak loads” by both increasing energy generation and dispatching units to make sure it is delivered reliably.

“Maintaining affordable, reliable, and secure power in the [Mid-Atlantic service area] is non-negotiable,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a media release.

“The previous administration’s energy subtraction policies weakened the grid, leaving Americans more vulnerable during events like this. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are reversing those failures and using every available tool ensuring Americans in the Mid-Atlantic have continued access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy to power and cool their homes.”

And a third thing: Not a single person, not a one, thinks that setting your air conditioner at 78 Fahrenheit is going to keep you cool, or even merely feeling just the “warmth of collectivism.”

Zohran Mamdani: “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.” pic.twitter.com/VlL52kHUTM

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) January 1, 2026

Nor will you be feeling the “frigidity of individualism,” but instead the scalding hot ire of a Cuomo getting called “Fredo.” Funny when you consider who Mamdani beat in both the Democratic primary and the general election, because the 2025 mayoral race means they’re all Fredos now.

Anyhow, with all that addressed, social media responded beautifully, as it sometimes can:

The warmth of collectivism… https://t.co/Eyk65mSMqx

— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) July 1, 2026

pic.twitter.com/4mMHX4LqRx

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 2, 2026

Imagine how bad the apartments of cat ladies with nose rings are going to smell at that temperature…

— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) July 1, 2026

This isn’t the Europoor Union

Set those thermostats to 60

— Three Year Letterman (@3YearLetterman) July 1, 2026

And while “Three Year Letterman” is a parody account (one of the better ones on X, in fact), this actually isn’t quite as much of a stretch as you might think. Consider that, at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, the air conditioning was shut off in part of the building — the lower floors where the lower-level staffers work — last week.

The upper floors, meanwhile, were apparently as frigid as individualism. That’s where the “important” people work. It’s almost like there’s a metaphor at work there …

So, while normal Europeans discover simple American pleasures like working air conditioning, Zohran Mamdani wants to get more European. Instead of Ohio becoming the sixth borough, why not Brussels? Or the whole of the Netherlands, for that matter? After all, New York City was once New Amsterdam. It’d be rather fitting if its mayor not only took it back to the living conditions of old Amsterdam, but also took the entire country his mentality seems to fit as part of the bargain.

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