Add Mark Cuban to the list of prominent business figures pushing back against Zohran Mamdani’s ambitious left-wing agenda, which includes rent freezes and city-run supermarkets offering low-cost groceries.
The billionaire entrepreneur and former Dallas Mavericks owner didn’t hold back in a recent appearance on the “Pod Save America” podcast, dismissing Mamdani’s campaign promises as unrealistic. “We’re cutting rents, right? We’re changing grocery stores. None of that s–t has a chance. Doesn’t matter,” Cuban said, referencing the New York City mayoral candidate’s platform.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and current state assemblyman, has pledged to freeze rents on all stabilized apartments and open municipally-owned grocery stores. According to his campaign, these city-run stores wouldn’t pay rent or property taxes, allowing them to offer lower prices to shoppers.
But Cuban wasn’t buying it. “This guy is walking in telling me he’s going to walk on water. He’s going to make me more money, he’s going to save me money, he’s going to make my life better,” he said. “That tactic is Trump 101. Is it true? Does it matter?”
He compared Mamdani’s style to that of former President Donald Trump, suggesting both relied on broad, crowd-pleasing pledges, regardless of their feasibility. Cuban said the strategy taps into public frustration but sidesteps the need for real-world planning.
In a follow-up statement to Business Insider, Cuban expanded on his skepticism. “Until we see actual process and plans to actually implement a promise, I look at his, and all campaign promises, as nothing more than promises,” he said.
Cuban also drew parallels to Trump’s infamous pledge to build a border wall funded by Mexico. “We are going to do X, and someone else will pay for it. That seems to be the path of least resistance to getting votes for any office,” he added.
Though critical of Mamdani’s platform, Cuban clarified that he has no plans to endorse a candidate in the New York City mayoral race, noting that he isn’t a city resident.