Catholic Bishop Robert Barron said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — the first Muslim mayor, first South Asian mayor, first African-born mayor, and youngest mayor in more than a century — was using language drawn from Marxist ideology, warning that such ideas pose concerns for both politics and religion.
Barron made the remarks in a video posted on social media, responding to recent comments by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez about culture and class struggle. In the video, Barron said Mamdani was “calling for the confiscation of private property” and “seizing the means of production,” which he described as language “right out of the Communist Manifesto.”
“It concerns me not just as someone who follows politics, but as a bishop of the Catholic Church,” Barron said.
A recent statement by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez illuminates the Marxist ideology which continues to take hold of American politicians. Here are my thoughts. pic.twitter.com/Edgy0smzeb
— Bishop Robert Barron (@BishopBarron) February 16, 2026
Barron, who has serves as bishop of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester, said Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks reflected what he called a Marxist view of culture as secondary to economic conditions and class conflict. He said her response to a speech by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich illustrated what he described as a shift away from cultural and religious foundations toward materialist explanations of society. Here is a snippet of her referenced remarks:
AOC slams Rubio's pro-West speech & calls for "class based internationalism" instead pic.twitter.com/xQERTqa5ji
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 15, 2026
Barron argued that Western culture, which Rubio had cited in his speech, could not be dismissed as “thin” or insignificant. He said that treating culture as a mere byproduct of economic structures followed the framework advanced by Karl Marx.
“What’s worrying me is the extent to which political leadership on the left in America is becoming unapologetically Marxist,” Barron said in the video.
Mamdani has previously used language consistent with themes Barron criticized. In a 2020 social media post, Mamdani wrote that achieving full participation in the economy would require “worker ownership of the means of production.”
If we want everyone to be full participants in the economy, we need worker ownership of the means of production. https://t.co/yd6Kjjo0gS
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) December 2, 2020
In another post the same year, he said housing should be decommodified and provided by the state rather than primarily accessed through the market.
People often ask what socialists mean when we say we want to "decommodify" housing.
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) December 3, 2020
Basically, we want to move away from a situation where most people access housing by purchasing it on the market & toward a situation where the state guarantees high-quality housing to all. (1/8)
In a separate message, he said socialism meant “taking back money the rich stole from everyone else.”
Socialism doesn't mean stealing money from the rich.
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) September 17, 2020
It means taking back money the rich stole from everyone else. https://t.co/XWaDvdfM2G
Barron said such views echoed policies implemented by Marxist governments in the 20th century and warned that religion had often been targeted under those systems.
“Marx himself said, ‘The first critique is the critique of religion,’” Barron said. “The first thing that Marxist tyrannies went after, in most cases, was religion.”
Barron urged viewers to pay close attention to the language used by political leaders and said their words revealed their underlying beliefs and goals.
Recent developments in New York City have kept Mamdani in the national spotlight. Governor Kathy Hochul and Mamdani announced this week that New York State would provide $1.5 billion in additional funding to help address the city’s fiscal challenges, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
NEW: We’re providing $1.5 billion in state aid to protect essential services, support working families, and put New York City on stable financial footing.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) February 16, 2026
A strong New York City means a stronger New York State.
Proud to partner with @NYCMayor to get this done. pic.twitter.com/jGg70p0Lzu
The funding includes recurring state support for youth programs, sales tax revenue and public health, with additional money to be allocated later. Hochul said the investment was intended to protect services and stabilize the city’s finances, while Mamdani said working New Yorkers should not bear the burden of the budget shortfall, “Working New Yorkers did not create this budget crisis and they should not be the ones to pay for it.”
Barron said his concerns were rooted not only in political disagreement but in the potential impact of Marxist philosophy on religious freedom and cultural institutions.
“As a religious leader, this is concerning me quite a bit,” he said. “Attend to the language. In a way, they’re telling us who they are and what they’re for.”
