Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) came under fire on social media Thursday after criticizing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's request that residents conserve electricity during a heat wave by setting their air conditioners to 78 degrees.
As temperatures climbed across the city, Mamdani posted on X urging New Yorkers to help reduce pressure on the electric grid.
New York City is trapped under a life-threatening heat dome with the National Weather Service issuing an Excessive Heat Warning through 9 p.m. Friday. Actual temperatures are expected to reach 103 degrees with oppressive humidity causing "feels-like" heat indices to soar between 110 and 115 degrees.
A Heat Emergency is in effect. To manage the crisis and protect public health, the city and state have activated several measures
"New York: it's hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool," Mamdani wrote in preparation. "Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you're not using, and unplug what you can. Let's work together to avoid outages."
New York: it's hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool.
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 1, 2026
Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you're not using, and unplug what you can.
Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings,…
The request echoed longstanding recommendations from utility companies and government agencies during periods of peak electricity demand, which often ask customers to voluntarily reduce consumption to help prevent rolling blackouts.
Haley was quick to ridicule the appeal, responding on X with the message: "Welcome to socialism," while sharing Mamdani's post.
Welcome to socialism https://t.co/ekgMH3ARh4
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) July 1, 2026
Cruz also weighed in, reposting Mamdani's message and writing, "In a first-world country, you could turn on the A/C...."
The remarks sparked an immediate backlash online, with many users accusing the two Republicans of hypocrisy because Republican-led states, including Texas and South Carolina, have repeatedly issued nearly identical requests during periods of extreme weather.
One screenshot that circulated widely showed a 2015 Facebook post from Haley, then governor of South Carolina, urging residents to "make a special effort to conserve energy by turning off nonessential lighting and appliances" during an extreme cold snap to avoid straining the state's electrical system.
Apparently @NikkiHaley has been a socialist since 2015 pic.twitter.com/ric5Dy4HOO
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) July 2, 2026
Others pointed to Texas, where the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has frequently asked residents to raise thermostats and reduce electricity use during periods of extreme summer heat. X's Community Notes even attached a fact check to Cruz's post, noting that "Ted Cruz's own state has made the same request on numerous occasions," citing ERCOT advisories and news reports.
Incredible community note. pic.twitter.com/Kl6d7ILv3w
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) July 2, 2026
Many of the replies also revived Cruz's long-running "Cancún" nickname, a reference to his widely criticized February 2021 trip to the Mexican resort while millions of Texans were without electricity, heat and running water during Winter Storm Uri. Cruz later acknowledged the vacation was "obviously a mistake" after returning early amid public outrage.
ERCOT in Texas literally can remote control their customers' smart thermostats and has used that to force peoples' thermostats to stay above 78 during dangerous heat waves. pic.twitter.com/oBQKXCwsQ0
— KH (@futureblues) July 2, 2026
Critics argued there was little difference between Mamdani's request and similar conservation appeals routinely issued by Republican governors and utility operators during periods of unusually high electricity demand. Supporters of Haley and Cruz countered that they were criticizing what they view as Mamdani's broader socialist agenda rather than the conservation request itself.
The exchange quickly became the latest political flashpoint surrounding Mamdani, whose progressive policies have made him a frequent target of national Republicans since winning New York City's Democratic mayoral primary.
