Zohran K. Mamdani was sworn in as New York City mayor on January 1, 2026, and the city’s official @NYCMayor account was updated to reflect the new administration. But the account’s earlier posts—including messages from former Mayor Eric Adams, some of them supportive of Israel—remain on the timeline, creating confusion about authorship that outside commentators have criticized.
Zohran K. Mamdani took office as New York City mayor on January 1, 2026, and the city’s @NYCMayor account on X began displaying his name and branding. But the account’s timeline continues to show prior posts from former Mayor Eric Adams, including messages backing Israel, because the handle was not reset or separated by administration.
The issue drew attention after journalist Yashar Ali posted that, unlike federal executive-branch accounts, New York City’s mayoral handle does not appear to archive or clearly separate older content, leaving earlier tweets visible even after the account’s display name changed.
Commentator Rowan Scarborough also weighed in, arguing that the city should adjust its approach and pointing to Mamdani’s previous public criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—a position that has been reported elsewhere during the 2025 campaign, including Mamdani’s statements describing Netanyahu as a war criminal and accusing Israel’s Gaza campaign of “genocide,” a characterization Israel has rejected.
The episode has renewed comparisons with how official U.S. presidential social-media accounts are handled during transitions. In 2017, the White House outlined a process in which handles such as @POTUS are transferred to the incoming administration while prior content is preserved under separate, clearly labeled archival accounts (for example, @POTUS44 for Barack Obama’s posts), so the new administration begins with a cleared timeline.
New York City’s approach appears different. The city’s social-media presence is governed by city policy, and the mayor’s digital operation is managed through City Hall’s digital strategy apparatus. As a result, the mayoral handle functions more like a continuing institutional account than a leader-specific archive—preserving older posts in one continuous public timeline, even when control and branding change hands.
