Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal has demanded that Mayor Zohran Mamdani pull conservative news outlet Newsmax from the Taxi TV screens filling New York City cabs, calling the network “not a credible news source” in a letter dated January 21, 2026. This is a naked attempt by a local Democrat to use government power to silence a viewpoint he dislikes instead of countering it with better ideas.
Newsmax recently signed a deal with Curb to supply short news updates to in-cab screens that appear in roughly 15,000 taxis nationwide, including about 9,000 in New York City, a partnership that simply brings more choice to riders. For hardworking commuters who use taxis, having more sources of information — not fewer — is the public service we should encourage, not punish.
Hoylman-Sigal went further, urging the mayor to suspend the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s relationship with Curb unless the company drops Newsmax, claiming the network spreads “misinformation” and “politically charged content.” That kind of language from an elected official is dangerous because it treats political disagreement as a licensing violation rather than an argument to be won in the marketplace of ideas.
Conservative leaders and riders pushed back quickly, calling the demand blatant censorship and viewpoint discrimination. Representative Nicole Malliotakis and everyday New Yorkers rightly said that if someone doesn’t want to watch, they can turn the screen off, and that should be their choice — not the mayor’s or the borough president’s.
This incident is part of a broader pattern: when the left cannot defeat ideas they hate, they try to ban them. New Yorkers should be alarmed that political operatives are asking City Hall to use licensing and regulation as blunt instruments to sanitize public information, setting a precedent that could easily be turned on other dissenting voices next.
Mayor Mamdani, who took office on January 1, 2026, must resist this pressure and defend the principle that government does not pick winners and losers in the media landscape. The test of leadership is standing up for free speech for all citizens, even — and especially — when that speech makes you uncomfortable.
