The New York Post’s front page they ran featuring newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani is making waves among his supporters. This enthusiasm was happening just a few hours after his successful election in the New York mayoral race. The publication, known for its history of opposition to Mamdani, captured attention with a provocative layout that has fueled a viral response across the city.
Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York, garnered significant support during the election, leading to a surprising twist regarding the front page of the New York Post. Rupert Murdoch now owns the publication, and thus far their coverage has savaged Mamdani, even personally. Perhaps this is what makes the wildly positive response to this very issue so ironic.
According to a recent story from the Associated Press, demand for that front page has recently exploded, thanks to Mamdani’s supporters. Many stores quickly sold out of copies. But one deli in Brooklyn told CBS New York that it sold out in under an hour after opening at 6 a.m. Immediately, the deli owner said, they were swamped with students. This morning, close to 100 people came in asking for it, and about 30 people called to see if we had it,” said White.
Shock factor on the front page is a big part of what makes something go viral. Supporters have been anxiously waiting to receive a physical copy themselves. At least one vendor on eBay is taking advantage of the mania, with one copy of the print edition listed for $355. So much so, that some intrepid fans are traversing several Brooklyn delis to hunt down this now-coveted edition. One store in Brooklyn even had a “No NY Post” sign in the window. This was in part a reaction to the fact that copies were flying out the door.
Supporters such as Ben D have even contributed their own hunting experiences to feature on the front page. He and a friend visited almost a dozen delis before they were able to find one with copies in stock. One such supporter, Saleh said he was blown away by the front page, calling it “incredible.”
As the excitement continues to build around Mamdani’s win and the accompanying front page, it remains clear that this publication—a long-time critic—has inadvertently become a part of Mamdani’s narrative. What will undoubtedly be a celebratory moment stands in stark contrast to the decades of opposition. This contrast makes for an especially compelling narrative arc.