Two prominent Democratic figures with deep ties to the Clinton and Obama administrations publicly criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani this week, with former Clinton adviser Mark Penn attacking the mayor's proposed property tax plan while former Obama White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel recounted what he described as a private conversation in which he challenged Mamdani's rhetoric on Israel.The criticism is notable because it comes from longtime Democrat insiders rather than Republican opponents and focuses on two of the issues that have defined Mamdani's rise political rise: his far-left economic agenda and his positions on Israel.Fox News Digital reached out to Penn, Emanuel and Mamdani's office for comment.NYC MAYOR MAMDANI CALLS THREAT OF RICH PEOPLE LEAVING NYC OVER TAXES 'IMAGINED'Mark Penn participates in a panel discussion during the annual Milken Institute Global Conference at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on April 29, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif.(Getty Images)Penn, a longtime Democrat strategist and former pollster and adviser to President Bill Clinton, accused Mamdani of dramatically understating the scope of his proposed pied-à-terre tax after the mayor released a public database identifying property owners who could be subject to it.In a lengthy post on X, Penn argued the city's valuation system had swept in nearly one million property owners rather than the roughly 30,000 luxury homeowners Penn said had previously been described as the intended targets."The $5 million figure was a fake," Penn wrote, arguing the city's valuation system had improperly classified properties and would force homeowners to prove they should not be taxed.RAHM EMANUEL WARNS NEW GENERATION OF DEM SOCIALISTS DON'T LIKE AMERICAFormer Mayor of Chicago and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel speaks during the 29th annual Milken Institute Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on May 5, 2026.
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