Republicans slam Mayor Zohran Mamdani for asking New York to turn down AC

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Jul 2, 2026

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NEW YORK — Republicans slammed Mayor Zohran Mamdani for calling on New Yorkers to save electricity and ease strain on the power grid by setting air conditioners no lower than 78 degrees.

Even though red states have made similar pleas, GOP officials derided Mamdani for the optional request as a brutal holiday weekend heat wave gripped NYC.

“In a first-world country, you could turn on the A/C,” tweeted Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

“SoCIAlisM WoRKS thO,” added Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, trashed the recommendation as “an act of war against women in menopause.”

Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina, declared: “Welcome to socialism.”

The Republicans were up in arms over Mamdani’s message to New Yorkers to help the city get through a scorching and steamy Fourth of July weekend by working together to reduce demand and avoid any potential threats to the grid.

“A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved. Let’s ease demand — and get through the heat — together,” Hizzoner tweeted late Wednesday.

The mayor also announced the city would open cooling centers, extend hours for swimming pools and expand street outreach to help beat the heat.

Republicans lashed out at Mamdani despite the fact that many red states have made similar pleas to save energy in summer and winter weather and President Donald Trump’s Department of Energy suggests air conditioning be set to between 75 and 78 degrees.

Texas infamously dealt with widespread power outages when its state-run power grid partially collapsed during a fierce 2021 cold wave and winter storm.

Temperatures were expected to rise to around 100 degrees Thursday and again on Friday and into the still-nasty mid-90s on Saturday.

Relief is expected by Monday with seasonable temperatures in the low 80s expected by next week.

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