Fox & Watchdog
← Public evidence ledger
RedState
Article misinformation risk ★★★★★ ★★★★★ 2.0/5 Use caution · 2 checked claims
category/news-and-politics

Mayor Mamdani Orders NYC to Sweat at 78 Degrees — While His Own City Hall Was HOW Cold?

RedState reports Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged New Yorkers to set air-conditioners to 78°F and said city buildings would maintain 78°, while the New York Post reportedly measured temperatures inside City Hall and other municipal buildings as low as 54°F and 62°F and found most tested spots below 78°F.

Open the original RedState article ↗

Accurate
Public importance 70/100

“New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani instructed residents to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees and stated that city buildings would be maintaining a 78-degree rule.”

Attributed to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (as quoted on X)

✓ Proof standard met 4 reachable references Independent-source requirement passed
Original context and attribution

RedState cites Mamdani's X post urging New Yorkers to "Set your AC to 78 degrees" and saying "Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings..." amid a heat wave.

What the proof shows

Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly urged New Yorkers to set air conditioners to 78°F and explicitly said the city would “do its part” by maintaining a 78-degree rule in city buildings. NYC official guidance and a mayoral press release repeat the 78°F recommendation. Independent reporting (New York Post) found on-the-ground temperatures inside City Hall that were below 78°F at the time reporters measured them and quoted city spokespeople saying settings were adjusted afterward. In short: the claim that Mamdani instructed residents to set ACs to 78°F and stated city buildings would follow is correct; subsequent reporting shows some municipal spaces were not at 78°F at the moment they were measured, which is important context but does not make the original claim false.

Corrected version

Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged New Yorkers to set air conditioners to 78°F and said the City would ask municipal buildings and businesses to set thermostats to 78°F; reporters later measured some municipal spaces below 78°F and the Mayor’s Office said some settings were adjusted afterward.

Automated evidence confidence: 0%

References and proof

Every link was reachable when published. Each proof point states how that source bears on the claim.

Independent reporting Supports

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani roasted over "78 degrees" suggestion. Here's why he's not sweating it. ↗

CBS News New York
Proof point

"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..." (quotes Mamdani and notes he said he set Gracie Mansion to 78°F).

Official data Supports

Beat the Heat | NYC Emergency Management ↗

NYC Emergency Management / nyc.gov
Proof point

A setting of 78 degrees F (or low cool) can provide a comfortable environment, help save on electricity bills, and conserve energy.

Independent reporting Contradicts

Mamdani can’t even get City Hall to stick to his 78-degree AC rule — as temps in building hit as low as 54 ↗

New York Post
Proof point

Post reporters ... tested 20 spots within City Hall and other municipal offices ... and all but five of them were below 78 degrees; one air vent in a press radio room registered 54 degrees.

Independent reporting Supports

BUSTED: Mamdani’s city hall had AC cranked to FRIGID temps as NYC forced to roast with 78 degree rule ↗

The Post Millennial
Proof point

A spokesperson for the mayor said City Hall settings were later adjusted to align with the recommended threshold after The Post’s measurements were taken: "The Mayor set the temperature at Gracie Mansion to 78 degrees yesterday afternoon," said Mamdani spokesman Jeremy Edwards.

Missing important context
Public importance 70/100

“New York Post reporters measured temperatures inside City Hall and other municipal buildings and found spots as cold as 54°F (press radio room) and 62°F (near first-floor mayor’s press office); after testing 20 spots, all but five were below 78°F.”

Attributed to New York Post reporters (as reported by RedState)

✓ Proof standard met 7 reachable references Independent-source requirement passed
Original context and attribution

RedState recounts a New York Post investigation in which reporters used thermometers at roughly 20 locations in City Hall and other municipal buildings and reported the cited temperature readings and distribution relative to 78°F.

What the proof shows

Multiple outlets (citing the New York Post) report that Post reporters used an infrared thermometer at roughly 20 spots in City Hall and other municipal buildings and recorded readings as low as 54°F (press radio room) and about 62°F (near the first‑floor press office), and that “all but five” of ~20 spots were under 78°F. That reporting appears to accurately reflect what the Post published. However, important context is missing: the Post’s measurements were handheld infrared/surface readings taken at locations reporters could access (not a systematic ambient‑air temperature audit), and infrared thermometers measure surface/vent temperatures (and can be affected by emissivity, vents, surfaces) rather than standardized ambient room air temperature. The mayor’s office also said the city was maintaining a 78°F rule in buildings and (per spokesman quotes in reporting) set Gracie Mansion to 78°F and adjusted City Hall after the story — details that temper broad inferences of deliberate hypocrisy. Because the raw Post readings are reported correctly but lack methodological and representativeness context, the claim is missing important context.

Corrected version

The New York Post reported that its reporters used an infrared thermometer at about 20 spots in City Hall and other municipal buildings and recorded readings as low as 54°F (press radio room) and about 62°F (near the first‑floor press office), and said all but five of the ~20 spots were below 78°F. Those are the Post’s reported spot/surface readings; they were not a formal ambient‑air temperature audit and infrared thermometers measure surface/vent temperatures (which can differ from room air temperature). The mayor’s office said the city was maintaining a 78°F rule in buildings and officials said Gracie Mansion was set to 78°F and that City Hall’s settings were adjusted after the Post raised the issue.

Automated evidence confidence: 0%

References and proof

Every link was reachable when published. Each proof point states how that source bears on the claim.

Independent reporting Supports

Mamdani can’t even get City Hall to stick to his 78-degree AC rule — as temps in building hit as low as 54 ↗

Grabien (reproducing New York Post excerpt)
Proof point

Sweaty Post reporters armed with an infrared thermometer tested 20 spots within City Hall and other municipal offices and buildings they were able to access — and all but five of them were below 78 degrees. Temperatures inside City Hall plunged as low as 54 degrees Thursday ... The air drafting from the AC unit in the press radio room ... tested at 54 degrees.

Independent reporting Supports

Mamdani vowed city buildings would follow his 78-degrees rule, investigation finds otherwise ↗

BizPacReview (reporting quoting New York Post)
Proof point

Sweaty Post reporters armed with an infrared thermometer tested 20 spots ... and all but five of them were below 78 degrees. ... one room was found to be at an astonishing 54 degrees. The Post said one of the lowest readings documented by reporters was 62 'near the first‑floor mayor’s press office.'

Independent reporting Supports

BUSTED: Mamdani’s city hall had AC cranked to FRIGID temps as NYC forced to roast with 78 degree rule ↗

The Post Millennial (reporting quoting New York Post)
Proof point

Temperatures inside New York City Hall dipped well below the level requested by Mayor Zohran Mamdani ... with some rooms reaching as low as 54 degrees Thursday afternoon, according to on-site readings conducted by the New York Post.

Official data Contradicts

Mayor Mamdani Signs Executive Order Protecting Workers from Extreme Heat ↗

NYC Mayor's Office
Proof point

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 ...

Official data Contradicts

Transcript: Mayor Mamdani Signs Executive Order Protecting Workers From Extreme Heat ↗

NYC Mayor's Office (transcript)
Proof point

You can find a cooling center near you ... Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand ...

Other Contradicts

Temperature (measurement guidance) — USGS / technical summary ↗

USGS (technical guidance on temperature measurement)
Proof point

Other types of sensors for temperature measurement include ... infrared (IR) thermometers. The construction of the focusing and detecting elements of an IR thermometer determines its range and accuracy. Accurate air‑ and water‑temperature data require appropriate sensors and methods.

Independent reporting Supports

‘Heat for thee, but not for me’: Mamdani lets City Hall go chill as he tells residents to sweat it out ↗

WorldNetDaily (reporting citing New York Post)
Proof point

A report at the New York Post revealed, 'Temperatures inside City Hall plunged as low as 54 degrees Thursday during the ongoing heat wave ...' 'Sweaty Post reporters armed with an infrared thermometer tested 20 spots ... and all but five of them were below 78 degrees.'

COMMUNITY EVIDENCE

Discussion

Disagreement is welcome. Spam and abuse are not.

No published comments yet. Add evidence or challenge the reasoning.

Members can comment for free

Create a free membership or sign in.