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AC at 78 Sparks
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees as the city braced for triple-digit temperatures, writing on X, "Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you're not using, and unplug what you can."
“"Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you're not using, and unplug what you can,"”
Republicans mocked the guidance as the city faced a multi-day forecast of extreme temperatures through the holiday weekend, with Sen. Rand Paul saying Mamdani’s remarks are "Proof that communism is (unfortunately) alive and well."
The dispute quickly expanded beyond the thermostat, as Mamdani also said, "Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings," while the backlash framed the advice as part of a broader socialist agenda.
CBS News New York’s Marcia Kramer asked why Mamdani was not backing away from the setting, and Mamdani replied, "I am, and I'm sticking with it because this is a longstanding city policy," while he said it was 112 outside.
The controversy unfolded as the heat wave intensified and Republicans sought to capitalize on recent electoral victories by Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed candidates in New York City and Colorado, according to The Hill.
City Hall Thermometer
The New York Post reported that temperatures inside City Hall plunged as low as 54 degrees Thursday during the ongoing heat wave, despite Mamdani urging New Yorkers to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees.
The Post said its reporters tested 20 spots within City Hall and other municipal offices and buildings they could access, and that "all but five of them were below 78 degrees."
Mamdani’s spokesperson Joe Calvello responded to critics on X, writing, "This practice of asking New Yorkers to set their AC to 78 degrees dates back to Dear Communist Leader Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani," as the dispute played out online.
The Post also tied the controversy to grid strain, saying roughly 5,000 Con Edison customers in The Bronx lost power, and quoting Con Edison: "Due to an electric problem in Riverdale, we had to shut off power to some customers temporarily to prevent more extended outages."
In a separate account, CBS News reported Mamdani remained unperturbed after the viral roasting, and he said, "Yep. I set it myself," as he described setting the thermostat at Gracie Mansion to 78 degrees.
Grid, Cooling, and Politics
The Hill reported that Mamdani issued another statement Thursday afternoon after the New York Independent System Operator issued an early energy warning "due to a decline in operating reserves," while Mamdani said, "The grid is operating normally at this time and there are adequate resources to meet forecasted demand."
“"due to a decline in operating reserves,"”
The Washington Times described the broader emergency response paired with the conservation push, including that the National Weather Service warned dangerous heat and humidity would stretch through the July 4 holiday weekend and that Central Park was forecast to hit 100 degrees for the first time in more than a decade.
In its account of the political fallout, The Hill quoted Sen. Rick Scott saying, "This is Communism at work," while it also noted that a community note added to Sen. Ted Cruz’s post said, "Ted Cruz’s own state has made the same request on numerous occasions."
Meanwhile, CBS News said Mamdani visited an Upper East Side senior center and told viewers he was "delighted to live life in the hot lane," as he discussed the need to keep the power grid stable enough for air conditioning to stay on.
Across the reporting, the stakes were framed around keeping cooling running during the heat wave, with Mamdani casting the 78-degree guidance as a way to ease demand and avoid grid problems while Republicans continued to argue the message reflected socialist politics.
