Fox News host Jesse Watters joined a chorus of conservative voices freaking out about New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s request that residents limit their air conditioning to prevent straining the power grid during the ongoing heat wave.
Broadcasting from the “Great American State Fair” in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Watters compared Mamdani’s request to China’s now-abolished one-child policy.
“First they tell you how cold to keep your room,” Watters said. “And then they can tell you how much sex you can have. It’s a slippery slope; they’re gonna say one-child policy next. This is how communism starts; they start rationing things.”
This Saturday’s Fourth of July holiday is expected to be NYC’s hottest in the last 20 years, with forecasts predicting temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mamdani urged New Yorkers on Tuesday to set their thermostats to 78 degrees to avoid overloading the power grid, a move that drew the ire of many in the GOP.
“This is what socialism looks like, folks. The right answer isn’t restrictions or mandates. It’s drilling, fracking, coal, & nuclear. That’s how we’ll roll in Ohio,” Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy wrote on X.
“First AOC tried to come for your steak and ribs and now the Socialist Democrats are coming for your AC. This is the future that WOKE Democrats want not just for NYC but for South Carolina too!” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote on X.
Despite the conservative outrage, Mamdani issued no legally binding proclamation mandating any reduction in energy usage during the heat wave.
The request from Mamdani is not unique to NYC; other states and municipalities have issued similar requests to their citizens during extreme weather events.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas has issued directives similar to Mamdani’s during extreme temperatures in the Lone Star State.