Affordable City or ‘Embodiment of Inflation’? Mamdani’s Key Pick Ignites Political Firestorm

A top appointment by New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani is drawing fierce national criticism, with opponents labeling his choice the “embodiment of inflation” and a direct threat to his core campaign promise of making the city more affordable. Ronna McDaniel, the former four-term Republican National Committee chair, launched a public broadside against Mamdani for selecting Lina Khan—President Biden’s former Federal Trade Commission chair—as co-chair of his transition team. In a letter and interview with Fox News Digital, McDaniel argued that Khan’s regulatory history of “fighting entrepreneurship, and innovation, and big business” directly contradicts Mamdani’s affordability pledge, warning that her influence would drive businesses and jobs out of the five boroughs. “He’s saying one thing and doing another,” McDaniel stated, framing Khan as a symbol of the “Bidenomics” she claims voters rejected.

The controversy centers on Khan’s record as a vigilant antitrust enforcer, which McDaniel’s letter claims raised prices and stifled growth nationally. She cited Khan’s opposition to an Amazon-iRobot merger, which she linked to iRobot’s bankruptcy and layoffs, and alleged Khan collaborated with Chinese-linked firms to target American companies. McDaniel, now leading a free-market advocacy group, contends that Khan’s anticipated “rehash” of FTC policies in New York will lead to over-regulation, pushing businesses to lower-tax states and ultimately increasing costs for residents. This early salvo signals that Mamdani’s progressive agenda, including proposals like rent control and government-run groceries, will face intense scrutiny, with critics aiming to define his administration as economically untenable before he even takes office.

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