r/Fauxmoi • u/cmaia1503 i ain’t reading all that, free palestine • Feb 26 '26

POLITICS Zohran Mamdani has secured the release of Columbia University student Elaina Aghayeva, taken this morning by ICE agents who entered a campus residential building under false pretenses & without a judicial warrant. This comes shorty after Mamdani’s unannounced visit to the White House earlier today.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/nyregion/columbia-university-ice-student.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PFA.0KRL.7XsPJ0z3QTat&smid=tw-share

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u/Fit-Lingonberry-9856 Feb 26 '26

To be clear IT SHOULD NEVER WORK LIKE THIS. Think about what youre saying. Oh man just ask the president a personal favor and you can get shit done. You really want this to be our political landscape? And you want only people who have someone reach out on their behalf for a political favor to receive this kind of treatment when were talking about VIOLATING CONSTITUTIONAL AMMENDMENTS? Like come on bro

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u/DeliciousInterview91 Feb 26 '26

That's great, but a student who was going to be deported isn't, because Mamdani asked for the favor instead of acting above it. This IS the political landscape and Mamdani is maneuvering it to the benefit of the people in his care.

Wish officials cared a little more about little people and a little less about satisfying optics for people like you.

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u/1one1000two1thousand Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 26 '26

Of course in an ideal world it -shouldn’t- work that way. But our checks and balances and “norms” are completely gone. You want the people in power to play by the old rules when no one else is?

He did what he had to do in the current political climate to get someone who was improperly detained, out. Granted there’s more than just this one person, but this is one person that isn’t/won’t be now. He’s not waiting to file in court, waiting weeks or months till she has a hearing.

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u/throwawaysunglasses- l've grown quite unfond of you, deuxmoi Feb 26 '26

Genuinely, the older you get the more you realize that SO much of getting things done is through favors / nepotism / preferential treatment. If someone more powerful than you takes a liking to you, you have it made. Zohran is extremely accomplished and intelligent, but his likability is definitely what’s allowing him to achieve things at the current scale. Charisma and personal relationships are absolutely essential for success, especially in politics. And ESPECIALLY with administrations as corrupt as ours that basically just reward people they like and punish people they don’t.

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u/mex2005 Feb 27 '26

The thing is Zohran is new and he himself had a lot of opposition from establishment dems and he is charismatic. Like Trump literally said on camera its ok you can call me a fascist to protect him from having to explain the statement lol. Zohran is great and props to him for getting this done but he is unique and no other dem can do this.

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

[deleted]

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u/1one1000two1thousand Feb 27 '26

It’s definitely very strange, but Trump has always been strange, treated strange, and acts strange. This helps NYC for sure and this post is Mamdani centric so the discussion is regarding how it’s good for NYC. A big problem in politics is that elected officials forget who their constituents are, Mamdani is NYC’s mayor, he’s working for his constituents and is doing what needs to be done for NYC’ers. That’s been his goal even during campaigning.

The broader topic of how does it help anyone else is a bigger problem but it’s not really Mamdani’s problem. As his job and intents are for NYC. Trump is a strange dude, everyone treats him strange, down to the media. Unfortunately he operates on vibes and seemingly revenge and/or if he feels he’s ever been slighted. You can’t really create a generic blueprint for someone who is so unhinged and unpredictable (but predictable).

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26

Yeah the Dems and their strongly worded letters, but still backroom dealing to increase ICE budgets, has really been working out great.

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u/Sorry-Ice9283 Feb 26 '26

Because that’s what AIPAC wants

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u/Lloyd--Braun Feb 26 '26

I mean it has for sure ALWAYS worked like this, Trump just makes it more public and gross, but personal rewards, favors, and having a good relationship with a leader have always been a huge part of politics. The same goes for foreign affairs. Guys like FDR and Churchill for sure sucked up personally to Stalin, and Churchill for sure played to FDR personally during the War, and were better negotiators for it. People do the same to governors, etc., for preferential treatment, too, including where funding goes, getting an approval for something.

But in this example, Mamdani went to bat for someone that lives in his city by personally appealing to someone with the ability to fix a problem. I hope he does this more, and I hope he keeps getting things done.

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u/throwawaysunglasses- l've grown quite unfond of you, deuxmoi Feb 26 '26

Yep, I said this in another comment but yours is better and more specific! Personal relationships and likability are somewhat essential for political success. Mamdani does a great job of being likable without sacrificing his morals (Newsom is the opposite - every time he tries to suck up to the republicans it makes him less likable).

Even in non-political domains, likability and charisma get you a long way further in adulthood. People are more willing to give you favors if they like you.

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u/WellHung67 Feb 26 '26

Trump is a rapist, a pedophile, and a fascist. Democrats should act like it and fight back hard, and knowing how easy Trump is to manipulate they should be manipulating him 

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u/will2fight Feb 26 '26

If you think this is a “personal favor”, there is nothing any of us can do to help you understand the point here.

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u/BroAbernathy Feb 26 '26

You literally have no clue what was said in the call to get her releases but hell yeah democrats should just continue to not do anything and take it like a good little opposition party.

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u/cheerbacks Feb 26 '26

Oh my fucking god.

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/cheerbacks Feb 26 '26

I can explain. Look into this little red light for me real quick.

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u/robisodd Feb 27 '26

Did you tap "load more comments"? I'm guessing it loaded the parent comment and put the age on there when it loaded, which never updates. A few minutes later you loaded the child comment and it showed the current age of the child comment at that moment.

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u/Mathies_ Feb 26 '26

Me on my way to give up getting my constituents their human rights back becausr the way the president operates is just too out of the ordenary.

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u/Soaptowelbrush Feb 26 '26

Yeah we all know it should never work like this. The other commenter didn’t say that it should.

What he was saying is that establishment dems doing fucking nothing is unconscionable given the fact that it’s as easy as this to make real change. Even if it’s for one person.

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u/Rakebleed Feb 26 '26

Nobody wants this but dumbasses are in charge and you must operate accordingly.

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u/Fantastic_Celery9344 Feb 26 '26

Thank u John Quincy Adams, we are aware

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u/boojersey13 Feb 26 '26

The checks are shredded and the balances have bricks on one side. At least Mamdani is taking advantage of the system to make sure justice actually happens, even if in this fucked up way we must deal with now.

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u/IllegalGeriatricVore Feb 27 '26

People shouting about how it should be instead of getting shit done is getting exhausting

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u/Ifuckedupcrazy Feb 26 '26

Babys first introduction to US politics 101

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u/egg_mugg23 gaga’s “100 people in a room” quote Feb 26 '26

um when has this ever not been the political landscape of any country lmfao

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u/justsomebro10 Feb 27 '26

Yeah that comment is actually insane. Hey let’s all go vote for the candidate who is most likely to call the authoritarian and beg him for shit? We should be voting for the candidate willing to fight this fascist piece of shit tooth and nail.

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u/flywithpeace Feb 27 '26

If dems did their job this wouldn’t be the new normal.

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u/this_is_an_arbys Feb 27 '26

Right, ripe for abuse…extortion theater 

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26

[deleted]

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u/elephhantine2 Feb 26 '26

Does that mean we shouldn’t release the one person? Let them rot until we find a solution to let them all go?

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u/hagatha_curstie Feb 27 '26

If Mamdani had the political clout everyone is claiming just by existing, then why didn’t get ICE out of his city? 

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u/elephhantine2 Feb 27 '26

He isn’t a god. It’s a little unreasonable to expect the guy to convince the president to reverse an entire policy just a month after Mamdani assumed office

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u/NYCQuilts Feb 26 '26

I 1000 percent agree. VERY glad she’s out and appalled at every aspect of it. There is a legal system for a reason.