Zohran Mamdani Snow Shoveling Video Sparks Attention During Brooklyn Storm Cleanup [WATCH]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was photographed and filmed helping Brooklyn residents dig out their cars after heavy snowfall from Winter Storm Fern on Sunday, but video of the effort quickly circulated online and drew attention to his shoveling technique and cold-weather decisions, as reported by The New York Post.

Footage shared by WABC-TV showed Mamdani, without a hat, lifting heavy shovelfuls of snow while repeatedly twisting and bending his back during a stop in Clinton Hill.

The video captured the mayor straining as he assisted residents, prompting commentary online about whether his form put him at risk of injury.

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The shoveling approach appeared to conflict with guidance offered the same day by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who cautioned residents to shovel carefully.

Speaking during a briefing on winter conditions, Hochul emphasized using legs rather than the back when lifting snow.

“Do not bend over to shovel,” Hochul said. “You bend down your knees. You want to bend down so you can protect your back.”

She also advised against lifting large amounts of snow at once. “Also, you do not need to have a high amount of snow on the shovel,” Hochul said, adding that she had seen neighbors suffer heart attacks from taking on overly large loads.

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“It’s better to take multiple smaller bites at it, lift smaller amounts of snow, toss it aside. But do not try to go for the big, massive shoveful of snow because, regardless of your health, this could cause a heart attack,” the governor said.

CRINGE ALERT: New York Kathy Hochul shows residents how to shovel snow and gives “pro-tips.”

“Pro-tips on shoveling from someone from Buffalo who knows.”

It doesn’t look like she does know! pic.twitter.com/tzekAasdqd

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Additional video later showed Mamdani shoveling snow in Williamsburg, further fueling online discussion.

Anyone who’s ever shoveled snow before, knows that Mamdani is shovelling snow for the the first time in his life. pic.twitter.com/mrCP7MVNtQ

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Hochul weighed in directly, posting a message to X that read, “Thanks for helping out our neighbors, but put on a hat!”

Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, said in his inaugural address that he aimed to “replace the frigidity of individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”

His snowstorm appearances were framed by his office as part of that message, highlighting hands-on engagement during severe weather.

The mayor later shared another anecdote from Sunday while speaking at a weather briefing on Monday. Mamdani described stopping with members of his team to assist a security guard who had pulled over on the Triborough Bridge.

According to Mamdani, the guard was concerned about being late to work, and the mayor said he contacted the guard’s supervisor to help explain the situation.

“I looked over at him at that moment, and he was wearing a jacket, and I asked him, ‘You should zip up your jacket. It’s very cold,’” Mamdani said. “And he said, ‘My zipper broke.’”

Mamdani then used the encounter to argue that not all New Yorkers have access to basic necessities and that the city government has a role in addressing those gaps.

During the briefing, a reporter asked whether Mamdani had given the guard his own jacket.

“No, I actually put him in his car and gave him hand warmers — got the heat back up,” the mayor said.

The snowstorm appearances came as Winter Storm Fern dropped significant snowfall across parts of New York City, prompting city and state officials to urge residents to limit travel and take precautions while clearing sidewalks and vehicles.

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