Zohran Mamdani Attempts Bench Press On Campaign Trail — And It’s Hard To Watch

Zohran Mamdani failed to complete a solo bench press rep while trying to impress a crowd at Brooklyn’s Men’s Day open streets event Saturday.

In a video posted to X Saturday, Mamdani, 33, needed full assistance from a spotter to complete two reps of a 135-pound bench press. (RELATED: Jamaal Bowman Proves He’s Probably The Strongest Member Of Congress With Jaw-Dropping Bench Press)

NEW: Socialist Zohran Mamdani shows off his muscles at Men’s Day in Brooklyn, needs help from a spotter to bench 135 pounds.

The 33-year-old was reluctant at first to get under the bar but gave in after being pressured by the locals. pic.twitter.com/7lsOJ3CubM

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 24, 2025

In the video, Mamdani is seen getting a pep talk from a member in the crowd while others cheered him on by saying, “this is how you move up in the polls.”

Mamdani appeared to be disappointed with his performance after getting up from the bench, and appeared to give the credit to the person who spotted him.

Mamdani also walked along Eastern Parkway during the Open Streets event, snapping hundreds of selfies with New Yorkers near the Brooklyn Museum, the New York Post reported.

The outlet reported that Mamdani made up for his underwhelming lifting performance by showing skill with a soccer ball.

Soccer is the most popular sport in Uganda, where Mamdani was born, and where he recently celebrated his luxurious wedding in July.

Mamdani ended the day by delivering remarks to a crowd of people who attended the event, the outlet reported.

“It is such a pleasure to be here, and I want to say thank you to the organizers for celebrating what makes this community beautiful,” Mamdani said. “I look forward to being your next mayor, next year.”