In stark language delivered during an appearance on The Benny Show, legendary actor James Woods labeled New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s election “the most dangerous event” in modern American history. The warning framed Mamdani’s victory as a pivotal shift that could irrevocably reshape the nation.

Woods contrasted Mamdani’s democratic socialist agenda—promising expanded government roles in housing, transportation, food systems, taxation, and daily life—with President Trump’s pledge to “Make America Great Again,” which emphasized border security, national identity, and citizen priorities. He described the United States as “the greatest human endeavor” but warned that its unifying cultural foundations are being deliberately weakened by ideological shifts.

The mayor’s $124.7 billion executive budget includes New York City’s first pied-à-terre tax and a $5.6 billion capital commitment to the New York City Housing Authority—the largest in decades. It also leverages billions in state assistance from Governor Kathy Hochul while expanding housing and child care services. Critics argue such spending promises risk economic strain, potentially displacing productive residents as city officials seek new revenue streams.

Woods highlighted Mamdani’s proposed five city-owned grocery stores offering groceries at 30 percent below city averages—operating without rent or property taxes—as a threat to neighborhood bodegas already bearing high operational costs. The actor stressed his critique targets ideologies that justify violence against nonbelievers and demand America abandon its historical identity, not religious freedom itself.

A petition filed by over 300 relatives of September 11 victims requested Mayor Mamdani’s exclusion from Ground Zero commemorations this month. The mayor’s office stated he would honor the victims, their families, and first responders. Woods warned that Mamdani’s tax-and-spend approach could shrink New York City’s tax base, ultimately burdening the nation when promises collapse.

“Voters are free to choose socialism, radicalism, and permanent transformation,” Woods said. “They are not free to escape the consequences.”