Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani faced ridicule after failing to complete a single repetition of a 135-pound bench press during an event in Brooklyn. The incident, captured on video, highlighted what critics describe as his physical frailty and alleged lack of resolve.

Mamdani, who has risen in polls as a frontrunner for New York City mayor, struggled to lift the standard barbell weight at the annual Men’s Day gathering. Witnesses reported that his “spotter” appeared to bear most of the load, with the bar remaining in contact with the lifter’s hands throughout the attempt. The moment drew comparisons to former Vermont Governor Howard Dean’s infamous 2004 presidential campaign meltdown, where a vocal rant became a defining liability.

The incident has intensified scrutiny of Mamdani’s credentials, even as his supporters dismiss physical strength as irrelevant to governance. Mayor Eric Adams mocked Mamdani with the nickname “Mamscrawny,” but the candidate’s base reportedly remains undeterred. Polls show Mamdani leading comfortably over former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, though concerns persist about his stance on law enforcement.

Critics point to Mamdani’s past advocacy for defunding the police and skepticism of NYPD operations as potential campaign vulnerabilities. Despite calls from allies like Kathryn Wylde and Attorney General Letitia James to retain Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Mamdani has emphasized reducing prosecutions for low-level offenses, a policy at odds with Tisch’s enforcement priorities.

The bench press incident has become a symbol of what opponents view as Mamdani’s broader shortcomings, though his campaign insists such moments are inconsequential in a race defined by ideological divides.