The left has long cultivated a cult of personality, elevating certain figures to a status where criticism is not just frowned upon but treated as heresy. These figures aren’t judged on ideas or performance; they’re worshipped as symbols of the movement itself, protected by a culture that punishes anyone who dares to question them. Politics becomes less about policy and more about ritual, loyalty becomes the currency, and disagreement is a risk few are willing to take. Zohran Mamdani is the latest example, a reminder that in today’s left, reverence often matters more than reason, and untouchability has become a defining feature of power.
This pattern should feel familiar: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden each enjoyed a similar untouchability in their times. Obama, during and after his presidency, was often shielded from left-wing critique over drone strikes, surveillance, and tepid economic reforms by accusations of racism aimed at his detractors. Clinton was vigorously defended from 2016 onwards, with critiques about her Wall Street ties, foreign policy, and email scandals dismissed as sexism. Biden’s cognitive decline was repeatedly written off as “ageism” when questioned publicly. Now, Mamdani has joined this exclusive club of left-wing political divinity — and he wasn’t even a presidential nominee.
One striking episode revealing this new untouchability involves liberal actress Debra Messing. The former Will & Grace actress found herself attacked fiercely by the left after posting a meme that labeled Mamdani an “actual Communist Jihadist” — biting, provocative phrasing, given Mamdani’s radical rhetoric and political style.
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It was a good meme, which pitted “A Democrat. Just a Democrat” against “An actual communist jihadist. A literal Karl Marx-quoting, America-hating jihadist,” on a mock ballot. The backlash from the left’s Twitterati and Instagram mob was brutal. It underscored the peril of straying from the hive mind: If you’re not in full lockstep, you face the wrath of the logically challenged.
Messing wasn’t alone, either.
CNN host Van Jones openly criticized Mamdani’s victory speech after his New York City mayoral win, calling it divisive and accusing him of a “character switch” from the candidate’s previously warm and embracing demeanor to a sharp, aggressive tone. Mamdani’s speech included harsh rhetoric: pledges never to mention Andrew Cuomo again, blasts against Donald Trump, threats toward landlords, and unapologetic pro-immigrant declarations. Jones lamented that Mamdani missed a chance to unite New Yorkers. It was a fair and mild criticism, but radio host Charlamagne tha God was livid and told Van Jones to “shut the F up forever.” He defended Mamdani’s speech as a necessary challenge to capitalism and authoritarianism, a no-nonsense stance needed to shake up America’s political landscape.
MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan, who was a guest on the show, also piled on Jones.
"So Van Jones thinks that Donald Trump gives unifying speeches that make him president, but thinks Zohran Mamdani, who's united a multi-racial, multicultural, multi-income coalition, is divisive?” Hasan argued, forgetting the fact that Trump also united a multi-racial, multicultural, multi-income coalition to win last year. “That tells you more about Van Jones than it does tell you about Zohran Mamdani.”
This episode exposes the Democratic Party for what it has become: A machine devoted to protecting its untouchables. Zohran Mamdani now sits atop that hierarchy, shielded from criticism as the party barrels further into socialism. In this climate, even a small challenge sparks fury, and dissent isn’t met with debate but punished with outrage and personal attacks. The sanctimony around Mamdani, along with the disturbing rise of antisemitic tones among his defenders, shows a party obsessed with enforcing ideological loyalty rather than fostering honest debate. Power isn’t measured by ideas anymore; it’s measured by who can command unquestioning fealty.
And that means Mamdani has more power in the Democratic Party than you think.
