CNN host Abby Phillip, a radical liberal, has been working hard to offer a laudable defense for democratic socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his demand for residents to set their air conditioning to 78 degrees, but her efforts backfired horrendously after one of the guests on her program caught her in a huge act of hypocrisy.
On July 1, 2026, Mamdani demanded that all New Yorkers set their thermostats to 78 degrees in order to alleviate stress being put on the energy grid. Meanwhile, temperatures in the Big Apple have hit triple digits due to a heatwave that has slammed the Midwest and East Coast this week. “I am asking every New Yorker to make a heat plan before the worst of this weather arrives,” said the mayor.
“The best protection against extreme heat is air conditioning,” he went on to say. If you don’t have it at home, know now where you’ll go to stay cool. Check in on your neighbors, especially seniors, and if you see someone outside who appears to be in distress, call 311 so we can get help to them.” And then he lowered the boom on residents concerning where they need to set their thermostats in a move that reeks of totalitarianism.
“This administration is using every tool we have to keep New Yorkers safe, but the strongest city is one where neighbors look out for one another. And to every business owner, please set your thermostats to 78 degrees to alleviate the stress on our grid,” Mamdani said. A report from The Gateway Pundit noted that the Gracie Mansion, where Mamdani now lives, is fully air-conditioned, pointing out that historically, Marxists have always believed that the rules only apply to the masses, not those in charge.
Conservative guest Ben Ferguson challenged Phillip by asking if she raised the temperature in her home to stand in solidarity with Mamdani. This question sparked a heated conversation with a lot of shouting and talking over one another. Once things quieted down a bit, Ferguson revealed that the very CNN studio where they were doing the show was not set anywhere near 78 degrees.
“By the way, just to be clear, it’s NOT 78 degrees in here right now! No one’s gonna buy this, it’s absurd!” Ferguson said. “When you saw that (Mamdani’s comment), were you like ‘h*ll yeah let me knock that number up to 78?’” Phillip replied, “But Ben, this is a weird hill to die on…You can let this one go.” He then responded, saying, “Or we can turn it up to 78 right now in solidarity, we stand with Mamdani!”
“You don’t have to jump off the partisan cliff,” Phillip retorted. “It’s not 78 in here!” Ferguson fired back. The GWP report pointed out that it’s reasonable for the city government to request residents and businesses adjust their thermostats in order to prevent massive power outages. The problem comes when government buildings aren’t following their own directive.
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However, as many have noted, it is ultimately up to individuals to decide what is a proper temperature for their homes and folks should not be forced to go along with a specific mandate. One individual commenting on an X post sharing a clip of the conversation pointed out, “A 2006 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory meta-analysis found that productivity peaks around 22°C (72°F) and falls roughly 2% per degree above 25°C. The 78°F thermostat recommendation is myopic at best and absolutely counter-productive (decreasing productivity) at worst.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video