December 31 2025, 08:15 New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has fired back at Elon Musk after the tech billionaire criticised the appointment of Lilian Bonsignore as the Chief of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
Tesla and X owner Musk, 54, claimed that “people will die” because of the appointment of Bonsignore, a former FDNY emergency medical services chief who is also an out lesbian women.
On December 27, Musk reacted to the news, writing on X: “People will die because of this. Proven experience matters when lives are at stake.”
Mamdani, who swept to victory earlier this year on a pro-LGBTQ+, socialist platform, left Musk red-faced with his reply, responding: “Experience does matter, which is why I appointed the person who spent more than 30 years at EMS. You know, the workforce that addresses at least 70% of all calls coming into FDNY?”
Experience does matter, which is why I appointed the person who spent more than 30 years at EMS. You know, the workforce that addresses at least 70% of all calls coming into FDNY? https://t.co/shTYVvvy4C
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) December 27, 2025
Mamdani’s historic win in New York City on 4 November made made him the city’s first Muslim mayor and the youngest since 1892.
The victory saw the 34-year-old juggernaut of leftist politics secure more than 50 per cent of the vote and see off competition from Democrat-turned-independent candidate and former NYC governor Andrew Cuomo, who received just 41 per cent of the vote following a campaign marred by sexuality assault allegations.
Meanwhile, Musk’s divisive platform X has confirmed that it is set to support a Republican activist’s legal battle as she undergoes investigation for resharing a picture of a trans woman using the bathroom in the Texas state capitol building.
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