Washington reacted sharply after candidates backed by Zohran Mamdani defeated establishment-backed Democrats in New York primaries, fueling new concern over the growing power of the party’s socialist wing.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Mamdani “has some work to do” with congressional Democrats after the results, meaning the candidates won power, but not yet full trust from party leadership. Axios reported that House Democrats were stunned, with one centrist calling the night an “earthquake” and a “huge defeat” for leadership.

President Donald Trump mocked Mamdani for pulling through “3 solid Communists,” adding, “Congratulations Mr. Mayor!” House Speaker Mike Johnson also warned that Republicans were ready to fight the “Marxists,” casting the results as proof that the insurgent left is rising inside the Democratic Party.

Progressives saw the night very differently. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a leading progressive Democrat, said “the progressive energy is clearly very high,” adding that Mamdani’s endorsement and turnout machine “really does matter.”

The reactions showed how quickly local New York primaries became a national political story. The results pointed to a growing reality inside the Democratic Party: Mamdani’s wing is gaining power because many voters feel squeezed by rent, affordability and a system they believe no longer works for them.