Five years ago, Sen. Bernie Sanders made headlines for his mitten meme at Joe Biden’s inauguration. In the words of Zoran Mamdani, progressives kept things casual.
Zoran Mamdani to take office with bold policies for New York City
Ahead of Inauguration Day, Zoran Mamdani’s plans for New York City signal changes with national implications, USA TODAY’s Dan Morrison reports.
Sen. Bernie Sanders skipped the stilettos and skipped the meme mittens from Joe Biden’s inauguration to celebrate the second swearing-in of newly minted New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani.
The Vermont progressive attended the ceremony wearing a green down winter coat and was sworn in by Mamdani outside City Hall after being introduced by another protégé, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Sanders made headlines five years ago when he wore brown and white mittens with chevron detailing. He also wore a COVID-19 mask over his face and wore a characteristically calm expression with his hands crossed, creating a memorable moment online. The “Bernie Sanders Mittens Meme” spurred sales of Christmas ornaments, merchandise and T-shirts.
At the swearing-in ceremony, Mamdani’s fellow Democratic Socialists said the mayor’s newly enacted policies focused on addressing affordability were not radical. Sanders said New Yorkers need to continue pushing for his policies, such as free buses, universal child care and even city-run grocery stores. Mr. Sanders’ long-standing insistence on making wealthy Americans and big corporations pay more in taxes was met with the slogan “Tax the rich.”
Mamdani is the 112th person to lead the country’s largest city, but the first Muslim and first of South Asian descent.
In 2025, Mamdani surprised the political world by first defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary and then winning again in the general election in November. Mamdani pursued a similar progressive platform to Sanders, focusing on affordability.
“The billionaire class of this city and country needs to understand that they can’t have it all in America,” Sanders said before Mamdani was sworn in. “America, our great country, must belong to all of us, not just a few, and that lesson begins today in New York City.”
And this time, Sanders was wearing gloves.
This story is developing.
Contributors: Eduardo Cuevas, Dan Morrison, Rebecca Moerin, Trevor Hughes. Maliha Saeed, Burlington Free Press
