On his first day as the mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani vowed to usher in a "new era" for the city.
The 34-year-old democratic socialist is the city's first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa.
In his speech, Mamdani said he was advised to lower expectations, noting, "I will do no such thing."
He added, "Beginning today we will govern expansively and audaciously. We may not always succeed, but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try."
Highlighting his socialist politics, the mayor said, "I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being called radical."
Moreover, hours after the ceremony, Mamdani revoked all executive orders issued by Eric Adams after September 26, 2024, when the former mayor was indicted on federal corruption charges, later dropped by the Trump administration.
It was the second of a two-part ceremony after Mamdani was sworn in at midnight on Thursday in a disused subway station, where he was flanked by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, and his wife, Rama Duwaji.
He also became the city's first mayor to be sworn in using the Qur'an.
Notably, Zohran Mamdani continued to win hearts as he stayed behind at the City Hall hours after the inauguration to serve hot chocolate to the city events staff breaking down the setup in brutal New York's cold weather.
