Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines mocked NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani after a video showed him struggling to bench 135 pounds.
Gaines said she lifted 165 pounds with ease at 130 pounds, joining others in ridiculing the socialist candidate.
Video from Mamdani’s campaign stop shows the Democratic Socialist struggling to bench 135 pounds without assistance, sparking mockery online as critics called it a fitting symbol of today’s Democratic Party.
In a post on X in response to Mamdani’s viral fail, she joked, “I’m not saying we should judge politicians for how much they can bench, but I’m absolutely judging a politician for how much he can bench.”
165lb relatively easy reps on bench when I weighed 130lbs
Take note, @ZohranKMamdani pic.twitter.com/TNyv28VkgE
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) August 24, 2025
I’m not saying we should judge politicians for how much they can bench but I’m absolutely judging a politician for how much he can bench https://t.co/IkgsxegoQ2
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) August 24, 2025
NEW: Socialist Zohran Mamdani shows off his muscles at Men’s Day in Brooklyn, needs help from a spotter to bench 135 pounds.
The 33-year-old was reluctant at first to get under the bar but gave in after being pressured by the locals. pic.twitter.com/7lsOJ3CubM
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 24, 2025
“Is there a better example of the modern Democratic Party than this,” Ian Miller, a writer with Outkick wrote in a post on X.
“It’s easy to talk, it’s hard to carry the burden,” former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who is running as an independent in NYC’s mayoral race, wrote in a post. “This guy can’t bench his own body weight, let alone carry the weight of leading the most important city in the world.”
