In a Monday event promoting his government-run grocery stores, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani countered conservative icon President Ronald Reagan, attempting to replace the Gipper’s famous “nine most terrifying words in the English language.”
In 1986, Reagan, arguing against federal manipulation in the farming industry, intoned those nine horrifying words: “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”
Referring, to Reagan’s quote, Mamdani said, “It’s a good quote, but I disagree.” The mayor then suggested an even more terrifying nine-word quote: “I think nine more terrifying words are actually, ‘I worked all day and can’t feed my family.'”
Communist Zohran Mamdani: “[Ronald Reagan] famously said ‘The nine most terrifying words in the English language are I’m from the government and I’m here to help’…I disagree.” pic.twitter.com/5UiIvdju1B
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 18, 2026
Mamdani was celebrating the announcement of his second city-run grocery store, in the Bronx. The 20,000-square foot store is expected to open next year. The first store announced, in East Harlem, is not expected to open until after the one in the Bronx is completed.
While government-subsidized commerce has never worked as intended, and related abuse of the SNAP program is becoming more prevalent, Mamdani is convinced his model will help address “food insecurity” in the Big Apple.
