Mamdani faces 'second-home' tax backlash

Mayor Mamdani, a democratic socialist, argued that the tax is necessary to address the city's affordability crisis and narrow the budget deficit.

President Trump has joined the criticism, claiming the policy will drive wealthy residents away and further destabilize New York.

Tax filings released this week also revealed that Mamdani continues to earn royalties from his former career as a multilingual rapper.

Despite the backlash, the mayor remains committed to the plan, using unconventional methods like Mario Kart analogies to explain its impact to the public.