Mamdani Effect: Abbott Says He’ll Impose 100% Tariff On New Yorkers Moving To Texas After Election

With the strong possibility that Democratic Marxist-Islamist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani may be elected mayor of New York City on Tuesday night, Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s sights are squarely on New Yorkers.

Anticipating the mass escape from New York that might occur with a Mamdani victory, Abbott wrote on X, “After the polls close tomorrow night, I will impose a 100% tariff on anyone moving to Texas from NYC.”

After the polls close tomorrow night, I will impose a 100% tariff on anyone moving to Texas from NYC.

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 3, 2025

This move fits neatly into Abbott’s broader pattern of blending culture-war politics with aggressive state policy. Over the past year, he has made it clear that leftist ideologies — especially in academia — won’t be welcomed in the Lone Star State. “Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation,” he wrote last month. “We must end indoctrination and return to education fundamentals at all levels of education.”

Univ. of Texas professor was dismissed from an administrative post overseeing university academic affairs because of ideological differences.

Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation.

We…

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 19, 2025

Abbott has since championed audits of gender identity and LGBTQ courses across the University of Texas system, framing them as a battle for educational fundamentals. Texas lawmakers, meanwhile, are demanding even stricter oversight, convinced that schools are still promoting “radical leftist” content.

Abbott has also taken a hard line on immigration, and targeted the leftist Northeast. In 2022 alone, Texas bused nearly 16,000 migrants to sanctuary cities including New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. Abbott indicated it was relief for overburdened localities. Even Democrats like former New York Governor David Patterson admitted the tactic was “brilliant” from a strategic standpoint, noting its ability to highlight federal inaction while putting sanctuary city leaders on the defensive.

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Abbott’s “100% tariff” joke signals a zero tolerance stance for residents leaving NYC for Texas if a progressive mayor takes office. The idea is to draw a stark line between Texas’ conservative values and what Abbott portrays as leftist chaos elsewhere.

From auditing classrooms to busing migrants and now slapping hypothetical tariffs on New Yorkers, Greg Abbott is proving that in Texas, governance and culture wars are inseparable — and that he won’t hesitate to take his fight beyond the state line.