At a Brooklyn street festival in August, Zohran Mamdani failed to bench-press 135 pounds. Why he was even subjecting himself to such a stunt is a good question. Call it a sign of the times. The likely next mayor of New York — a trim 34-year-old socialist who wants to freeze rents and open government-run grocery stores — grimaced through two attempts, the bar quivering inches above his chest before a spotter stepped in.

The optics were brutal, as was the ridicule. Current Mayor Eric Adams posted a video of himself benching at the same event, dubbing his opponent “Mamscrawny.” Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines — a prominent critic of transgender women in women’s sports — boasted she repped 165 while weighing only 130. Miami’s Republican mayor, Francis Suarez, posted a video pressing 22

See Full Page