"I Just Assumed": Zohran Mamdani Defends Swimming Pool Dress Code Violation

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani officially opened the city's outdoor pool season on Saturday by jumping into the Thomas Jefferson Pool in East Harlem. He wore his business suit and black socks instead of a swimsuit.The 34-year-old jumped into the pool with Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura to mark the opening of the city's outdoor pool season. He became the first New York City mayor in more than 10 years to take part in the traditional opening-day pool jump.However, the New York Post pointed out that he technically violated the pool's dress code by entering the water in a formal business suit rather than proper swimwear. The report stated that men must wear swim trunks with a mesh lining, though Speedos are also allowed.The city's Parks Department states that these rules help keep the pool water clean and maintain the proper chemical balance.After the incident caught attention, Mamdani responded to the New York Post article about his dress code violation by sharing a video on X.In the video, he jokingly says, "New York's outdoor public pools open today. Luckily, I'm already in my swimsuit," before diving into the pool wearing his black business suit alongside dozens of swimmers.When they said, "wear a suit," I just assumed...Find a public pool near you at https://t.co/V0Tzb9IlHO. https://t.co/TL5XIB4jBw pic.twitter.com/4wHWNB54fx - Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) June 27, 2026The text on the video read, "Celebrating 90 years of NYC's public swimming pools. Stay cool, New York."In the caption, Mamdani joked, "When they said, 'wear a suit,' I just assumed..." He also shared a link to help residents find a public swimming pool in the city. "Find a public pool near you at http://nycgovparks.org," he added.This was not the first time Mamdani got into the water wearing a business suit. During his mayoral campaign last year, he also jumped into the sea at Coney Island for the annual Polar Bear Plunge while dressed in a suit."I'm freezing. Your rent as the next mayor of New York City," said Mamdani in the video.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@zohrankmamdani)"I will use the power of the mayor to freeze the rent for the more than 2 million New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilised units to ensure they return to what they were," Mamdani said.