Zohran Mamdani attempted a bench press demonstration at Brooklyn's annual Men's Day to promote community health and youth fitness but failed to lift his own body weight. He required spotters and struggled with 135 pounds, prompting comparisons to basic athletic standards and commentary about expected adult male strength. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo publicly mocked the incident on X, and critics circulated clips that earned Mamdani the nickname "Mamscrawny." Mayor Eric Adams reportedly chuckled at the footage. Mamdani mingled with attendees afterward to redirect attention, and the episode generated widespread political commentary focused on image and campaign optics.
Mamdani, a rising star in New York City's progressive wing and considered a top-tier contender in next year's mayoral race, attempted a bench press demonstration Saturday to showcase his support for community health and youth fitness. But when the moment came, Mamdani couldn't complete even a single unassisted rep, leaving him red-faced and wobbly as spotters quickly re-racked the bar.
The stunt, which was meant to position Mamdani as both physically and politically strong, backfired as clips of the failed lift circulated online, earning him the nickname "Mamscrawny" from political critics. Even Mayor Eric Adams - himself a fitness buff - reportedly chuckled when shown the footage, according to a source close to City Hall. The image showed him mingling with attendees and supporters, deflecting attention from the bench press debacle.
Collection
[
|
...
]