Ted Cruz mocked Mamdani’s AC advice, calling it un-American. Then a community note revealed Texas has made the same request

According to The Hill, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism from conservative lawmakers after suggesting that residents set their thermostats to 78 degrees to help manage energy demand during a severe heat wave. 

He posted this advice on X on Wednesday afternoon as triple-digit temperatures hit the city. Mamdani said the city is following the same rule in its own buildings to help keep the power grid stable and make sure air conditioning stays on for everyone. The response from Republicans came quickly, with many describing the advice as a sign of socialist policy.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called it “Proof that communism is (unfortunately) alive and well.” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said, “This is Communism at work,” and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) claimed, “The Socialist Democrats are coming for your AC.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also criticized the mayor on social media, but the three-time senator’s remarks took an embarrassing turn. 

Republicans’ own states and agencies have given the same advice

Cruz wrote: “In a first-world country, you could turn on the A/C.” A community note was later added to his post, stating, “Ted Cruz’s own state has made the same request on numerous occasions.” Cruz has recently made headlines for other sharp political remarks, including calling Democrats opposed to democracy over the party’s support for a Maine Senate candidate.

The criticism ran into a problem when people pointed out that setting thermostats to 78 degrees is a common energy-saving guideline used by many government agencies, including some run by Republicans. On Thursday, it was noted that the U.S. Department of Energy, which reports to President Trump, had also been recommending a setting of 75 to 78 degrees to save energy. That recommendation appeared to have been removed from the agency’s website by Thursday afternoon.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) also made fun of Mamdani, asking, “Is this what was meant by the warmth of collectivism?” A tech reporter responded by noting that the Florida Public Service Commission, whose members were chosen by DeSantis himself, gave residents the exact same advice to set their AC to 78 degrees as recently as June of this year.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also criticized the mayor, telling him, Mamdani defended his advice, saying his goal is to reduce demand so the power grid stays stable. He said, “A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved. Let’s ease demand – and get through the heat – together.” He gave a follow-up statement on Thursday afternoon after the New York Independent System Operator issued an early energy warning.

In that statement, Mamdani said the power grid is working normally and that there are enough resources to meet the expected demand during the ongoing heat wave. Cruz, meanwhile, has also drawn attention this year for describing tensions inside a closed-door Senate meeting involving Republican senators and the Trump administration.