Robert De Niro is asking New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to step in as he grows increasingly concerned about Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed approach to taxes and wealthy residents.
The actor, who previously supported Mamdani, now says he has become uncomfortable with some of the mayor’s economic policies. De Niro believes Hochul could play an important role in getting Mamdani to reconsider measures that he believes could have unintended consequences.
“She has been my biggest donor,” De Niro stated. “I hope that she can talk some sense into this guy.”
De Niro’s concerns center on taxes aimed at people with significant wealth and savings. He argues that imposing higher taxes on affluent residents could encourage some of them to leave New York, potentially reducing the pool of people available to generate tax revenue.
“If those with money move out of town, who exactly will end up paying for all of this?” De Niro asked. “You cannot tax people who have already moved out.”
The debate comes as Mamdani and Hochul have already worked together on a tax targeting certain high-value second homes owned by non-primary residents. The measure applies to qualifying properties worth more than $5 million and is expected to raise roughly $500 million annually.
Mamdani has defended his broader economic agenda as necessary to provide funding for city programs and public services. His administration’s budget proposals have included new revenue measures aimed at higher-income property owners.
De Niro, however, says his perspective has changed since he initially backed Mamdani.
“I supported him before,” De Niro said. “But his policies now seem completely different from what I thought I was supporting.”
The actor’s comments highlight the difficult balance New York officials face when considering new taxes. Supporters of higher taxes argue that the city’s wealthiest residents can contribute more toward public services, while opponents warn that excessive taxation could make New York less attractive to high-income residents and investors.
Hochul has previously expressed caution about broad tax increases. In August, she said she had no plans to raise or introduce new taxes in the upcoming year, while acknowledging that circumstances could change if the state faced additional federal funding losses.
That makes Hochul a potentially important figure in the debate De Niro is raising.
The governor has maintained a working relationship with Mamdani despite differences over certain economic questions. Their cooperation on the high-end second-home tax demonstrated that the two can reach agreements on revenue measures even when they approach broader fiscal issues differently.
For De Niro, however, the concern is less about one particular tax and more about the potential long-term effect of the city’s overall direction.
He argues that New York should be careful not to create an environment in which successful residents feel compelled to relocate.
“If you push people out, you lose the revenue they were providing in the first place,” De Niro said.
Whether that concern will change Mamdani’s approach remains uncertain.
For now, De Niro is looking to Hochul as someone who might be able to bridge the gap between his concerns and the mayor’s plans.
The actor’s political position has therefore shifted considerably from his earlier support for Mamdani.
As New York continues debating taxes, spending and the city’s economic future, De Niro says he hopes state and city leaders can find a way forward without pushing high-income residents away.
For an actor who once backed the mayor, his latest comments make one thing clear: he wants Mamdani to reconsider where his economic agenda is headed.
