Faced with a crucial decision that reflects wide generational and ideological divisions with national implications. As they select the next mayor of the United States’ largest city, the race pits Democratic nominee Zoharan Kwame Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary earlier this year, against independent candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo and perennial Republican contender Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani’s victory would be a historic moment: he would become the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in decades. At 34, Mamdani has already become a national figure who has been criticized by President Donald Trump and other Republicans.
Not surprisingly, misinformation about Mamdani continues to circulate widely. In this DW fact check, we take a look at the latest and most viral facts.
Will Mamdani legalize sex work?
claim: Many people, including the current New York mayor and Democrat eric adamshas accused Mamdani of wanting to legalize or decriminalize sex work. Opponents have raised this topic repeatedly, warning that such policies could Increase in prostitution and sex trafficking in New York City.
DW Fact Check: misleading
Mamdani has often been vague about his position on sex work and has not always emphasized his stance publicly – sex work has also not been chosen as a topic. his campaign platformWhen asked, he confirmed he was in favor of decriminalizing sex work – but not in favor of legalizing it.
in an interview on NBC New York, “I never sought to legalize prostitution,” she said. […] My policy is really to crack down on sex trafficking, have zero tolerance for violence against women, and follow the advice of the district attorneys that we have here in New York City. […] Having said that, prosecuting women for prostitution is something that actually leads to less safety.”
But fox 5 nyShe added: “When we look at the findings of the World Health Organization or the United Nations Working Group on the Protection of Girls and Women we find that decriminalization is what actually provides the most protection for sex workers.”
It becomes clear that Mamdani distinguishes between decriminalization and legalization. For them decriminalization appears to mean removing criminal penalties for sex work between consenting adults, so as not to lead to arrest and prosecution of sex workers and potentially their clients. Meanwhile, full legalization and regulation of the industry would mean much more profound changes.
It is also important to emphasize that Mamdani does not want to increase prostitution and sex trafficking with his proposal, but quite the opposite, as he says.
Their claims are supported by such international organizations as World Health Organization WHO and the United Nations (UN). A UN guidance paper from 2023 This for example confirms – as well as describes – that there are different forms and levels of decriminalization and legalization with different advantages and disadvantages.
American civil rights organization ACLU also reviewed empirical research A 2020 study on the effects of decriminalization and criminalization further confirmed that criminalization “increases the risk of violence and threatens the safety of sex workers” while decriminalization “may lead to greater access to health care and improved health”. However, the impact on trafficking remains unclear.
Is Zohran Mamdani a communist?
claim: US President Donald Trump and conservative commentator Has been repeatedly labeled Mamdani a communist,
DW Fact Check: false
However, Mamdani is identified as a “Democratic Socialist” For example, he has made clear in several interviews a distinction on nbc newsResponding to Trump’s allegations on NBC News, Mamdani said: “He wants to distract from what I’m fighting for,” which, according to him, is better distribution of wealth.
Political scientists and experts agree that the “communist” label is inaccurate. Mamdani does not advocate state control of all industries or the abolition of private property – core tenets of communism.
Stanford University professor Anna Grzymala-Busse told DW: “Mamdani is fundamentally committed to the democratic process, to listening to voters and to competing in elections as a way to gain power. He does not want to nationalize the economy. He wants to preserve democracy. He does not advocate any one leading party. The core of communism, meanwhile, is single-party control over society and the economy, with no opposition or There is no pluralism.”
Grzimala-Busse also explained why the term “communist” is often used as a political weapon in the US: “‘Communism’ is used as a weapon because during the Cold War, the Soviet Union was the enemy of the United States, and the whole rhetoric of good Americans versus godless communists dominated. The Red Scare, the McCarthy chase, the FBI investigations were all in the name of dismantling the ideology of the enemy. So it Not surprisingly, this telegraphs ‘bad’ in the eyes of many people, and it is an easy way to discredit anyone who might advocate redistributive policies.”
Mamdani’s “Zetro Card” is a government-controlled debit card
claim: Some people claim on social media that Mamdani has launched “The Zetro Card-“. A ‘Public Banking’ Debit Card Which lets the government manage your money. 10% of the profits go directly to the NGO. So… a politician starts a bank, takes your data, and funds activists with your cash.”
DW Fact Check: false
In reality, the Zetro card is a campaign collectible for volunteers—not a financial product. It tracks promotional efforts and rewards participation with campaign merchandise.
but in april video Mamdani explains: “Promote eight times in the next eight weeks and win a limited edition poster.” So this isn’t anything for the general public, but more about collecting stamps for campaign merchandise.
A september video Reiterated that the Card is only available in campaign programs and is not a debit card or linked to any financial system.
Edited by: Rachel Begg