As New York City voters head to the polls today for the mayoral election, Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent takedown of candidate Zohran Mamdani continues to stir debate. During an interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Musk labeled Mamdani a “charismatic swindler.” He went on to say, “I mean you gotta hand it to him, like, he can light up a stage, but he has just been a swindler his entire life.”
Mamdani, a New York State Assemblyman and democratic socialist, has built his campaign around proposals like hiking the minimum wage to $30 an hour by 2030, boosting the corporate tax rate to 11.5%, scrapping bus fares, and rolling out universal childcare. He also calls for constructing 200,000 units of rent-stabilized housing over the next decade, freezing rents in stabilized units right away, and setting up city-run grocery stores that operate without rent or property taxes to sell goods at wholesale prices.
Musk pulled no punches on the potential fallout, stating, “If Mamdani’s policies are put into place, especially at scale, it would be a catastrophic decline in living standards, not just for the rich, but for everyone. As has been the case with every socialist experiment.”
This criticism aligns with Musk’s endorsement of Andrew Cuomo in the race, where he has openly backed the former governor against Mamdani’s platform. Musk even predicted Mamdani might still pull off a win despite the warnings.
Recent polls show Mamdani holding a lead, with one survey from Quinnipiac University putting him at 43% compared to Cuomo’s 33% and Republican Curtis Sliwa’s 14%. Emerson College Polling echoes this, giving Mamdani a larger edge over Cuomo.
Mamdani defended his tax increases in a Fox News interview, saying, “I’ve said time and time again that I believe these are the most straightforward ways that we can actually fund universal childcare, making buses fast and free, and I’ve said that the two clear ways to do so: raising personal income taxes on the top 1% by 2% and raising the corporate tax to match that of New Jersey’s corporate tax of 11.5%.” He resisted calls to trim city spending, adding, “I don’t think we have to cut, I’ve spoken about raising taxes on the wealthiest.”
Critics argue Mamdani’s vision could drive businesses away and burden everyday residents, echoing failed experiments elsewhere that prioritized government control over individual opportunity. Whether this sways undecided voters remains to be seen as results start rolling in tonight.
Why the National Debt Is the Looming Threat to Your Retirement Plans
The Hidden Crisis No One Is Talking About
Every day, headlines warn about inflation, market volatility, and global instability—but the greatest looming threat to your retirement might be something far more fundamental: America’s skyrocketing national debt.
You can learn more about how the national debt affects you by reading this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“.
With debt growing faster than most Americans can possibly fathom, the government’s borrowing habits have reached historic—and dangerous—levels. To cover spending, Washington is making moves with their budget packages, tariffs, and taxes. Is it enough? No. It’s not even close to what would be necessary to stop out-of-control debt, let alone reverse it.
How Debt Erodes Your Nest Egg
There are only so many levers government and the Federal Reserve can pull to try to protect Americans, assuming that’s even a top priority for them. Unfortunately, pulling one level to relive one pressure invariably adds pressure from another direction. This is why prices keep going up even as inflation reportedly slows.
For retirees and pre-retirees, that’s a perfect storm. The dollars you’ve worked hard to save lose value, and your cost of living increases while your investments lag behind.
If you’re relying solely on paper-based assets—stocks, bonds, or mutual funds—you’re essentially tied to the same system that’s creating the problem. It’s a system that was designed to work well in the 20th century, not in today’s world with people living longer and the dollar rapidly losing value.
This is why the 3-minute report, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now,” is so important.
The Precious Metals Hedge
Thousands of Americans are looking for a tangible, time-tested hedge: physical gold and silver.
Unlike paper assets, precious metals aren’t dependent on government policy or the stock market’s mood swings. They’re real, finite resources that have maintained value for thousands of years through wars, recessions, and inflationary periods.
In fact, during times of high inflation and fiscal instability, gold often performs its best—because it’s seen as a store of value when faith in the dollar weakens. This is why prices have skyrocketed this year and are expected by many economists to continue going up in the future.
Take Control with a Gold IRA
One of the most effective ways to protect your retirement from national debt fallout is through a self-directed Gold IRA. This IRS-approved account lets you hold physical gold and silver within your retirement portfolio, giving you:
- Direct ownership of your assets
- A hedge against inflation and dollar decline
- The control to diversify beyond Wall Street
Augusta Precious Metals specializes in helping Americans just like you take this step with confidence. The company has earned a strong reputation for transparency, education, and personalized service—making it one of the most trusted names in the industry.
The Next Step: Secure Your Financial Future
Augusta Precious Metals has helped thousands of Americans with at least $50,000 to invest from their IRAs, 401(K)s, TSPs, and other retirement accounts safeguard their savings through precious metals.
If you’re concerned about what the rising national debt could mean for your future, now is the time to act.
Read this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“ and learn the simple steps you can take to protect your retirement.