Copyright BuzzFeed
Here’s How Sabrina Carpenter Kind Of Kickstarted The Chain Reaction That Got Zohran Mamdani Elected As Mayor Of New York City Before you come for me, of course Mamdani’s hard work and appealing policies are the *actual* reason why he got elected — but this is still a pretty fun coincidence! Hot Topic 🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Politics As I am sure you have heard by now, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani became the mayor-elect for New York City earlier this week, sparking meltdowns from the right over his "radical" policies... Like universal childcare and expanding free public transport. But what you probably didn’t realize is that pop star Sabrina Carpenter low-key kickstarted the chain reaction that may have led to Mamdani’s victory, with one incredibly viral tweet reading: “thinking about how sabrina carpenter may have inadvertently been the catalyst for zohran getting elected.” And if you’re confused, I’ve got you covered. Before we get into it, it’s worth noting that, of course, Mamdani won because of the seriously hard work and dedication that he put into canvassing, as well as his incredibly appealing, ethical policies, and this is not intended to take the credit away from his hard-earned success in any capacity. It’s just a bit of fun! So, if you cast your minds back to 2023, you might remember that Sabrina found herself in her first major scandal when she premiered her controversial “Feather” music video that was shot both in and outside of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. BuzzFeed TrendingHot Topic Let's chat about all things Politics See our Politics Discussions This horror-inspired video was mainly controversial because it showed Sabrina dancing around the pews in a revealing black tulle dress and veil after murdering or witnessing the deaths of a bunch of men who acted inappropriately toward her. Sabrina dismissed the criticism at the time, telling Variety that they’d received the appropriate permission to film in the church in advance, and even jokingly adding: “Jesus was a carpenter,” in reference to her fandom. But not everybody could so breezily dismiss the scandal, with the Diocese of Brooklyn issuing a statement through the Catholic News Agency two days after the music video dropped to say that Bishop Robert Brennan was “appalled” by what had been allowed to be filmed in the church. The New York Times later reported that a Catholic priest, Monsignor Jamie J. Gigantiello, was stripped of his administrative duties for the oversight, and Entertainment Weekly claimed last year that this whole debacle could have been what sparked federal attention on the church. Per the publication, authorities subpoenaed the church as Gigantiello's alleged business transactions with then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ office were investigated. Gigantiello became part of the federal probe against Adams due to his suspected dealings with Frank Carone, who was a confidant and former chief of staff of the mayor’s office. Adams was investigated for federal corruption and ended up being indicted in September 2024 after he was charged with bribery, campaign finance, and conspiracy offenses. Sabrina joked about this at the time, quipping during one of her concerts in New York City: “Should we talk about how I got the mayor indicted, or…?” The charges being dropped meant that Adams was able to run for re-election in this month’s New York City vote, but he ended up stepping down from the race last month, blaming “constant media speculation” surrounding the scandal, as well as the fact that he had lost the trust of some New Yorkers. So, to conclude, without Sabrina’s “Feather” music video sparking so much controversy back in 2023, attention may never have been drawn to Monsignor Jamie J. Gigantiello, and, in turn, New York Mayor Eric Adams may not have been indicted in September 2024. And while once again reiterating that the biggest reason behind Mamdani’s win is his own hard work, without Adams’ indictment, a whole bunch of New York voters may never have turned their back on him — or, at the very least, if he didn’t withdraw from the race last month as a direct result of the scandal, the final vote would have been more divided. Whew. That’s how Sabrina Carpenter plays into this huge political moment — as always, let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
