NYC Mayor-Elect Defends FDNY Appointment After Elon Musk Criticism
Zohran Mamdani backs Lillian Bonsignore as fire commissioner, citing decades of EMS leadership amid political backlash.
New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has rejected criticism from billionaire Elon Musk over his appointment of Lillian Bonsignore as Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), arguing that her decades-long experience in emergency medical services (EMS) makes her fully qualified for the role, according to City & State NY.
In a post on X, Mamdani wrote:“Experience matters, which is why I appointed someone who has spent more than 30 years in emergency medical services. This workforce responds to at least 70% of all calls handled by the Fire Department.”
Political Backlash and a Historic FDNY Appointment
Mamdani’s remarks came in response to an earlier post by Musk, who claimed that “people will die because of this appointment,” arguing that the position requires proven firefighting experience. Musk, along with several officials aligned with the Trump administration, has criticized Mamdani’s broader policy agenda, describing it as consistent with democratic socialism.
Bonsignore’s appointment has sparked widespread debate. She will become New York City’s first openly lesbian fire commissioner and only the second woman to lead the FDNY. Mamdani praised her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying her calm and decisive crisis management is exactly what the city needs during periods of uncertainty.
Bonsignore, 56, returned from retirement to take on the role. She has an extensive background in emergency management, having served as head of the EMS Academy in 2016, and later as Chief of EMS Operations from 2019 to 2020. In her acceptance remarks, she said:
“I’ve worked in this field for more than 30 years. Now you have a commissioner who knows how to insert an IV.”
Meanwhile, current New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed Mark Guerra, a 37-year FDNY veteran, to the same position over the Christmas holiday, creating competing claims to the leadership role. Mamdani downplayed Adams’ move, stating, “Lillian’s light is one that cannot be dimmed by anything else that happens.”
With this appointment, the FDNY enters a new phase of leadership amid intense political and media debate over experience, representation, and leadership standards within one of the most important public safety institutions in the United States.
