Listen up, New Yorkers, because this one’s a doozy. Robert De Niro, that aging tough guy from the movies who’s spent years ranting about how the rich need to pay up and how socialism is the cure for what ails America, supposedly packs his bags the minute a guy like Zohran Mamdani gets sworn in as mayor on January 1, 2026. The story goes that De Niro, who cheered Mamdani’s campaign like it was the second coming, now whines about the new boss wanting half his savings because he’s “wealthy.” Irony doesn’t get thicker than this—except it turns out the whole tale is as phony as a three-dollar bill. But fake or not, it’s a perfect snapshot of why the Big Apple is rotting from the inside out, and why real people are bailing in droves.
The Phony Baloney Story That Went Viral
Here’s the deal: Posts started flying around social media right after Mamdani’s inauguration, claiming De Niro had “no choice” but to flee because the mayor’s tax hikes were coming for his nest egg. “I haven’t worked in some time. My savings are all I have,” the quote went, with folks piling on about how De Niro’s now in the “find out” phase after all that “eff around.” It spread like wildfire—over 8,000 likes on one X post alone, and threads racking up thousands more. But dig a little, and it all traces back to satire sites cooking up laughs at liberal expense. No real interview, no press conference, no nothing. De Niro didn’t say squat about leaving.
What he did say, back in November 2025 while schmoozing in Rome, was pure fanboy stuff: “Now, with the election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York, the time has come to take this country back.” He even added, “Hope comes from Mamdani.” That’s right—the same Mamdani whose platform screamed wealth redistribution, sky-high taxes on the elite, and “equity” for all. De Niro lapped it up when it was just talk. But the minute reality bites, or at least the satire pretends it does, the hypocrisy shines like a neon sign in Times Square.
Why the Fake News Rings So True
Even if De Niro isn’t hightailing it to Florida yet, the story hits home because it’s exactly what happens when lefty dreamers get their wish. Mamdani rode into office on November 4, 2025, promising to soak the rich to fund his utopia—higher property taxes, a “mansion tax” jacked up to 4% on homes over $5 million, and plans to “reclaim excess resources” from folks with deep pockets. Sounds great if you’re not the one writing the check. But for the rest of us? It’s a recipe for disaster.
New York lost over 100,000 residents in 2025 alone, with the exodus picking up steam post-election. High earners—those making over $800,000 a year—are fleeing at twice the rate of everyone else, heading to low-tax havens like Florida and Texas. Why? Combined state and city taxes already top 15% for the wealthy, and Mamdani’s crew wants more. Crime’s up 22% in the subways since 2024, businesses are shuttering at a clip not seen since the pandemic, and the streets look like a war zone with unchecked homelessness and open drug use. De Niro’s fake freakout? It’s the real-life nightmare for small business owners and families who can’t afford private security or a quick jet out.
The Elite Escape Hatch: Hypocrisy on Steroids
This isn’t just about one has-been actor. It’s the blueprint for how the coastal elites operate. They preach “pay your fair share” from their penthouses, endorse radicals like Mamdani who vow to dismantle “greed,” then bolt when the bill arrives. Remember California? Same song, different verse—tech bros cheered progressive policies until the taxes hit, then off to Austin they went. In New York, realtors in Miami report phones ringing off the hook since Mamdani’s win, with queries spiking 30% in the last month. Big money doesn’t stick around for the socialist experiment; it leaves the middle class holding the bag.
And polling backs it up: A December 2025 Siena College survey showed 58% of New Yorkers think the city’s headed in the wrong direction, with taxes and crime topping the list. Among those earning over $100,000, approval for Mamdani’s agenda plummets to 32%. Even his own base is wavering—42% of Democrats in a Quinnipiac poll from early January 2026 say they’re considering moving if costs keep climbing.
A Wake-Up Call for the Rest of Us
New Yorkers, take notes: This De Niro farce is your crystal ball. If even a made-up story about a celebrity supporter flipping out feels believable, it’s because the policies are poison. Mamdani’s vision—redistribute everything, defund the cops in all but name, and turn the city into a welfare state on steroids—drives out the jobs, the revenue, and the dreamers who built this place. What’s left? A hollowed-out shell where the poor get poorer, the middle class vanishes, and the elites who pushed it all laugh from their beach houses.
America First means putting real Americans ahead of pie-in-the-sky schemes. New York was once the engine of the nation; now it’s a cautionary tale. If you’re still there, fighting the good fight, God bless you. But if you’re thinking of joining the exodus, don’t wait for the next fake celebrity meltdown. Get out while you can, before the tax man comes knocking. The Big Apple’s bruised, but the rest of the country’s waiting with open arms—and lower bills.