Rep. Mark Pocan targets Stephen Miller over immigration remarks as NYC’s mayoral race ignites partisan tensions.

Heated Exchange Follows NYC Mayoral Primary

A sharp political dispute erupted online Wednesday after White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller criticized New York City’s approach to migration in the wake of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s primary victory. Miller argued on social media that “NYC is the clearest warning yet of what happens to a society when it fails to control migration,” suggesting that lax immigration policies had contributed to the city’s leftward political shift.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., fired back with a profanity-laced message, pointedly referencing Nazi Germany in his response to Miller. “Racist ****. Go back to 1930’s Germany,” Pocan wrote. The heated exchange did not end there, as Pocan also took aim at a social media user who alleged that Mamdani, who is Muslim, supports “Sharia Law.”

“I love watching MAGA nut jobs spinning total bull**** to overcome blatant racism and xenophobia,” Pocan replied. He went on to argue that voters desire “progressive populism that focuses on making their lives better,” rather than “redistribution of wealth from working people to the wealthiest.” He also claimed that “Trumpism is on the decline.”

Republican Leaders Respond, Fueling Partisan Debate

Republican leaders were quick to seize on Mamdani’s primary victory as evidence of what they describe as the Democratic Party’s growing extremism. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) released a statement declaring, “The new face of the Democrat Party just dropped, and it's straight out of a socialist nightmare.” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella went further, asserting, “Every vulnerable House Democrat will own him, and every Democrat running in a primary will fear him.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump and a potential candidate for governor, also responded. Stefanik claimed that “a radical, Defund-the-Police, Communist, raging Antisemite will most likely win the New York City Democrat Mayoral primary.” Vice President JD Vance added his voice to the debate, congratulating Mamdani as “the new leader of the Democratic Party” on Blue Sky, a popular progressive social media platform.

The sharp rhetoric and partisan attacks reflect intensifying national attention on local races and the broader debate over immigration, social policy, and the future direction of both parties. As the general election for New York City’s mayor approaches, the campaign is likely to remain a flashpoint for larger ideological battles playing out across the country.