poster
Amid a scorching heatwave that led New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to urge residents to turn down their air con to help the city power grid, his wife was spotted jetting across the Atlantic.
Rama Duwaji, 29, was seen preparing to board a long-haul flight in images shared to social media on Friday, reportedly heading to the vacation hotspot of Mallorca, a Mediterranean island just off the coast of Spain.
The flight came after Mamdani was mocked for telling New Yorkers to keep their air conditioning at a sweltering 78 degrees.
The socialist mayor warned residents that the city’s power grid was working ‘overtime’, but many felt putting the burden on everyday people was overboard given the Big Apple’s energy-guzzling activities.
The images were first shared by comedian Arynne Wexler, who said the irony of Duwaji boarding the flight during the heatwave was not lost on her.
‘Funny how when Zohran Mamdani was telling New Yorkers to lower their AC, his wife Rama Duwaji was boarding a flight to party in Mallorca,’ she wrote on X.
She branded Duwaji a ‘champagne socialist’, and added that she couldn’t tag the First Lady of New York City because she deleted her social media following backlash to unearthed posts.
The posts Wexler referenced included offensive references to pro-Palestinian terrorism, the use of the n-word, and liking posts celebrating the October 7 attacks.
Rama Duwaji, 29, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was spotted boarding a cross-Atlantic flight days after her husband told residents to turn their AC’s to 78 degrees amid a sweltering heatwave
Duwaji reportedly boarded the flight to the party hotspot Mallorca
The images were first shared by comedian Arynne Wexler , who said the irony of Duwaji boarding the flight during the heatwave was not lost on her
It comes after Mamdani sparked backlash and mockery with his order for New Yorkers to turn their air conditioning down to 78 degrees, which critics quickly ridiculed him for as a ‘result of socialism.’
The socialist mayor made the request this week as New York was gripped by a heatwave, and he said on X that the city power grid was working ‘overtime.’
‘Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can,’ he wrote.
‘Our city is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand, asking private partners to do the same, and powering down non-essential equipment.
‘A stable grid means the AC stays on and lives are saved. Let’s ease demand and get through the heat — together.’
The request ignited a firestorm, as Republicans quickly seized on the moment to accuse Mamdani of asking residents to sacrifice comfort because of failed energy policies.
Duwaji seen celebrating the New York Knicks victory with her husband on June 18
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani advised residents to keep their air conditioning units at 78 degrees Fahrenheit amid a heat wave. He was seen jumping in an East Harlem public pool last week as temperatures soar
The Big Apple is under an extreme heat warning as temperatures are expected to hit 100 degrees. The struggle for shade became very real for New Yorkers in Central Park this week
Senator Ted Cruz mocked the guidance, posting: ‘In a first-world country, you could turn on the A/C….’
Representative Brandon Gill added: ‘Welcome to socialism, where the government demands you turn your house into a sauna because they can’t plan for the super unpredictable fact that it tends to get hot in the summer.’
Representative Anna Paulina Luna quipped: ‘Socialism works tho.’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis joined the criticism, writing: ‘Is this what was meant by the warmth of collectivism?’
Senator Rand Paul also blamed socialism, writing: ‘Proof that communism is (unfortunately) alive and well.’
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders added: ‘Turns out socialism actually isn’t free.’
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also weighed in, saying: ‘This is what socialism looks like, folks. The right answer isn’t restrictions or mandates. It’s drilling, fracking, coal, & nuclear. That’s how we’ll roll in Ohio. (And he sounds eerily just like Amy Acton during Covid).’
Mamdani doubled down on advising New Yorkers to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees on Thursday after the New York Independent System Operator warned that soaring temperatures could put significant strain on the state’s electrical grid.
New Yorkers are conserving energy as temperatures are only expected to rise. A blistering sunset was pictured behind the Statue of Liberty on Wednesday
‘During a historic heatwave, AC will save lives — but only if we keep the grid stable enough for it to stay on,’ Mamdani wrote.
The advice, however, is not unique to Mamdani.
During recent power emergencies in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott supported conservation requests from the state’s electric grid operator urging Texans to set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher to reduce electricity demand.
And every New York City Mayor since Rudy Giuliani in 1994 has asked residents to keep their air con at 78 in a bid to avoid blackouts.
New York City’s former mayor, Eric Adams, also encouraged residents to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees during a 2023 heat wave to ease pressure on the city’s power grid.
The Daily Mail has contacted Mamdani for comment.
