New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (D) questioned Elon Musk for claiming that people “will die” because of his appointment of a non-firefighter as the new chief of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

“Experience matters, which is why I named the person who spent more than 30 years in EMS. You know, the workforce that handles at least 70% of all calls that come into the FDNY.” Mamdani wrote in response to Musk in a post Saturday.

Mamdani’s comments came after the tech billionaire condemned the self-proclaimed democratic socialist’s decision to appoint Lillian Bonsignore on Friday. x publication.

“People will die from this. Demonstrated experience matters when lives are at stake,” Musk wrote alongside a clip of Mamdani announcing Bonsignore’s new role.

Last week, Mamdani appointed Bonsignore, an FDNY veteran who led Emergency Medical Services Operations before retiring from the department in 2022, as FDNY commissioner. She is the second woman to hold the position and the department’s first openly LGBTQ+ commissioner.

Bonsignore is also the first woman to achieve a 4-star rank in FDNY history, Mamdani said in a separate statement. x publication celebrating his new position.

Faced with criticism from Musk, Bonsignore told NBC New York, “I know the job. I know what firefighters need and I can convey it to this administration that is willing to listen.”

New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and Elon Musk have clashed in the past over Mamdani's political ideology.
New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and Elon Musk have clashed in the past over Mamdani’s political ideology.

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Mamdani’s team and the FDNY did not immediately respond to News themezone’s requests for comment.

Musk has launched attacks against Mamdani in the past during his mayoral campaign.

On an Oct. 31 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the Tesla CEO referred to Mamdani as a “charismatic hustler.”

“I mean, let’s face it, he can light up a stage, but he’s been a con man his whole life,” he added.

Musk also claimed that Mamdani’s policies will jeopardize the quality of life of New Yorkers.

“If Mamdani’s policies are implemented, especially on a large scale, there would be a catastrophic drop in living standards, not just for the rich, but for everyone. As has been the case with all socialist experiments,” he added.

Mamdani has proposed policies such as raising the minimum wage to $30 an hour, freezing rent and creating a network of city-owned grocery stores.