The Hill (“Mamdani mocked by GOP for telling New Yorkers to set thermostats to 78“):

Republicans are criticizing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) after he suggested residents set their thermostats to 78 degrees to help conserve energy in the city as it braces for triple-digit temperatures this weekend.

“New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool. Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can,” Mamdani wrote on the social platform X late afternoon Wednesday.

Conservative lawmakers and pundits linked the recommendation from the city’s first democratic socialist mayor to victories over the last two weeks by other democratic socialist candidates, arguing it is another example of Democrats embracing “socialism” or “communism.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Mamdani’s remarks are “Proof that communism is (unfortunately) alive and well.” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said, “This is Communism at work,” while Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said, “The Socialist Democrats are coming for your AC.”

“This is the future that WOKE Democrats want not just for NYC but for South Carolina too!” Graham added, responding to Mamdani’s post.

Recommending that thermostats be set at 78 degrees to reduce energy use, however, isn’t terribly unusual — including from agencies run by the GOP.

Earlier on Thursday, one reporter noted that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which reports to President Trump, was recommending a 75-78 degree setting “for energy efficiency.” By Thursday afternoon, the recommendation appeared to have been deleted from the agency’s website.

The DOE did not respond to a request for comment.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) was among those mocking Mamdani.

“Is this what was meant by the warmth of collectivism?” he said.

But a tech reporter responded to DeSantis’s taunt by noting the Florida Public Service Commission — whose members were hand-selected by DeSantis — has issued the identical recommendation for residents to set their AC units to 78 degrees in the summer, as recently as June of this year.

After Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) responded to Mamdani by saying, “In a first-world country, you could turn on the A/C,” a community note was added to his post that read, “Ted Cruz’s own state has made the same request on numerous occasions.”

Mamdani cast his recommendation as the city doing its part to conserve energy at a time when temperatures are high and air conditioning is running.

“Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand, asking private partners to do the same, and powering down non-essential equipment,” he said.

“A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved. Let’s ease demand — and get through the heat — together,” he added.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) called the post “an act of war against women in menopause,” before adding, “socialism has entered the chat.”

Former 2024 GOP presidential candidates chimed in as well.

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said, “Welcome to socialism,” while Vivek Ramaswamy said, “This is what socialism looks like, folks. The right answer isn’t restrictions or mandates. It’s drilling, fracking, coal, & nuclear. That’s how we’ll roll in Ohio.”

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) suggested the post reflects “the reality of big government socialism’s inability to solve problems.”

“Telling New Yorkers to set their air conditioning at 78 degrees is an open admission of the failure of the left to provide enough inexpensive electricity that people can be comfortable even in hot weather,” he added.

Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt (R) said, “Show us your thermostat, commie.”

The backlash comes as Republicans look to capitalize on recent electoral victories by Democratic primary candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) — in New York City and Colorado.

Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert (R) pointed to the ouster of longtime Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) by DSA-backed candidate Melat Kiros, writing, “Denver, this is what you just voted for.”

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) also addressed the potential political fallout from Mamdani’s guidance.

“This is the worst campaign ad for the Democrats,” Greene wrote. “Set your air to 78 degrees? Bless your hearts New York City!! American energy should be so strong and plentiful that you never have to set it above 70 if you don’t feel like it. And this comes from the Deep South in Georgia!!”

So, Mamdani is a Democratic Socialist. Our political philosophies diverge significantly. But, quite often, mayors and other executive officers simply execute the duties of their office in a manner that any competent official, regardless of ideology, would do in a similar situation. This is such an instance.

New York is, like much of the northeastern part of the country, experiencing an extreme heatwave. New York’s infrastructure is not built for 100-degree heat. So, he’s simply laying out—as many of the Republican officials cited in the Hill report did—the recommendations of his utilities professionals for how best to cope with a rare situation.

I’ve lived in the American South all but a handful of my 60 years. When it’s truly hot outside, which I define as 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above, I’m comfortable with the thermostat at 78. My wife is a bit more hot-natured, so we tend to set it at 74.

The exception: once the forecast goes above 95, we set it for roughly 20 degrees below the forecast. Why? Because, even though we have modern units in our house—and multiple units at that—they’re designed to drop the temperature no more than 20 degrees. Setting them lower than that accomplishes nothing and puts additional strain on the units.

So, sure, set your thermostats to 70 when it’s 100 degrees outside. Shut down the city’s power grid. And see how cool your home gets.