Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani ’s attempt to flex his muscles at a Men’s Day event in Brooklyn ended in an online pile-on, after the 33-year-old Democratic Socialist politician failed to complete unassisted bench press rep.
At the annual open streets celebration on Saturday, Mamdani tried to hoist a 135-pound barbell in front of a cheering crowd. But videos doing rounds online showed his spotter never let go of the bar, guiding the weight through two assisted reps before the Democratic nominee stood up, thanked the helper and exited the bench.
The botched show of strength gained eyeballs on social media, giving his political opponents a chance to take on a mocking jab.
Mayor Eric Adams took to X to release his own older video from the same spot, effortlessly pressing the bar under the supervision of the same spotter.
“64 vs 33. A lifetime of hard work vs. a silver spoon. The results speak for themselves,” Adams wrote on X. In another jab, he added, “The weight of the job is too heavy for ‘Mamscrawny.’ The only thing he can lift is your taxes.”
Former governor Andrew Cuomo also took aim, posting: “It’s easy to talk, it’s hard to carry the burden.”
“This guy can’t bench his own body weight, let alone carry the weight of leading the most important city in the world,” Cuomo quipped.
While critics had a field day, Mamdani’s supporters called the episode as a distraction.
“Public service should be about policy and integrity, not proving strength in a gym setting,” one user wrote, urging voters to judge candidates by ideas, not biceps.
At the annual open streets celebration on Saturday, Mamdani tried to hoist a 135-pound barbell in front of a cheering crowd. But videos doing rounds online showed his spotter never let go of the bar, guiding the weight through two assisted reps before the Democratic nominee stood up, thanked the helper and exited the bench.
The botched show of strength gained eyeballs on social media, giving his political opponents a chance to take on a mocking jab.
Mayor Eric Adams took to X to release his own older video from the same spot, effortlessly pressing the bar under the supervision of the same spotter.
“64 vs 33. A lifetime of hard work vs. a silver spoon. The results speak for themselves,” Adams wrote on X. In another jab, he added, “The weight of the job is too heavy for ‘Mamscrawny.’ The only thing he can lift is your taxes.”
64 vs. 33. A lifetime of hard work vs. a silver spoon. The results speak for themselves.
— Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) August 24, 2025
The weight of the job is too heavy for “Mamscrawny.” The only thing he can lift is your taxes. pic.twitter.com/HR6fDPKn0B
Former governor Andrew Cuomo also took aim, posting: “It’s easy to talk, it’s hard to carry the burden.”
“This guy can’t bench his own body weight, let alone carry the weight of leading the most important city in the world,” Cuomo quipped.
It's easy to talk, it's hard to carry the burden.
— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) August 24, 2025
This guy can't bench his own body weight, let alone carry the weight of leading the most important city in the world. https://t.co/kKB61LGojY
While critics had a field day, Mamdani’s supporters called the episode as a distraction.
“Public service should be about policy and integrity, not proving strength in a gym setting,” one user wrote, urging voters to judge candidates by ideas, not biceps.
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