Comedian and political commentator Bill Maher sharply criticized New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani during a recent commentary, arguing that Mamdani’s stated positions on private property and home ownership amount to outright communism and warning Democrats against downplaying those views.

Maher focused his remarks on statements he attributed to Mamdani and his allies regarding government authority, property rights, and housing, framing those views as far outside the American political mainstream.

“It matters that the mayor stands by and so I assume, stands with someone who says things like, if you don’t believe in the government’s sacred right to seize private property, it’s over,” Maher said.

“Seize private property. Home ownership is racist.”

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Maher continued by criticizing rhetoric he said portrays private ownership as inherently tied to racial oppression.

“Elect more communists private property, especially home ownership, is a weapon of white supremacy, really, even among the 20 million black Americans who own their own home,” Maher said.

Maher argued that such statements might be dismissed if they were made casually or earlier in life, but said that context no longer applies.

“I mean, these are the kind of utterances I might forgive as something a dumb white girl said while she was at Bryn Mawr, because it’s the kind of privilege hating you can only learn for $95,000 a year,” Maher said. “But these are statements made as an adult.”

He went on to mock what he described as ideological trends among graduates of elite institutions.

“Yes, for CO EDS from elite private colleges, you’re only a lesbian until graduation, but the communism lasts a lifetime,” Maher said.

Maher said Democrats are attempting to soften or reframe Mamdani’s ideology by debating labels, but argued that the substance is clear.

“Democrats seem to be having this debate whether or not Mayor Mamdani is a socialist or a Democratic socialist,” Maher said.

“Let me settle it. He’s a straight up communist.”

Maher said his conclusion was based on statements from those close to Mamdani.

“How do I know this? Well, I’m reading between the lines when one of his major advisors says, elect more communists,” Maher said.

While acknowledging that holding such beliefs is not illegal, Maher warned that denying or obscuring them could have political consequences.

“Which is fine. It’s fine. It’s a belief system. He’s allowed to believe it, and people are allowed to vote for it,” Maher said.

“But if liberals deny it like he’s just going through a goth phase, they’re going to lose more elections.”

Maher emphasized that the United States is not structured around communist ideology and criticized what he described as a lack of moderate political options.

“This is not a communist country, and this is the pendulum never lands in the middle problem I’m always bitching about,” he said.

Maher framed the current political landscape as offering voters a choice between extremes.

“Really, the choices we get here are either the worst version of crony capitalism or communism,” Maher said.

“Either a side deal for the Trump family every time he does business overseas, or the lady who says impoverished the white middle class?”

He concluded his remarks with a comparison to a past New York political scandal.

“Oh yeah, there’s a great campaign slogan for you,” Maher said.

“Honestly as New York mayoral races go, I was less creeped out by Anthony Weiner’s dick.”

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