Political career
Paladino gained media attention in 2017 after she confronted then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at a public appearance. Paladino,who was on her way home from a nail salon,stopped to shout at de Blasio for having traveled to Germany to attend a protest a day after a New York City police officer had been shot to death. [3] [4] [5]
Paladino ran for State Senate in 2018,but was defeated by Democrat John Liu. [4]
In 2021,Paladino narrowly defeated Democrat Tony Avella to win election to the New York City Council. Her predecessor,Paul Vallone,was term-limited. [6] [7] Paladino was re-elected to the City Council in 2023,defeating Avella by a wide margin in a rematch. [8]
During her time on the New York City Council,Paladino has been a critic of bicyclists in New York City. She has called for bicyclists to carry liability insurance,register their bikes and carry license plates. [9]
On February 7,2025,Paladino was appointed minority whip of the New York City Council. [10] [11]
Paladino has opposed the construction of a casino near Citi Field in Queens. [12]
Paladino is known for her support for law enforcement and small business;her opposition to migrant shelters,pro-Palestinian protests during the Israel-Hamas War, [8] squatter houses,vaccine mandates,and congestion pricing;her strong support for Donald Trump;her deeply conservative views;and her confrontational,outspoken personality. [4]
COVID-19 vaccinations
On her first day at work as a member of the City Council,Paladino declined to provide proof that she had been vaccinated against COVID-19. After Paladino said,"'I don’t need to show you my papers... This is not Nazi Germany'",she was not allowed to enter the Council chamber. [4] Paladino later apologized for her remarks and participated in City Council proceedings online; [13] she was eventually granted a religious exemption from the vaccine mandate and was granted access to the Council chamber. [4] Her statements were widely condemned as they were seen as trivializing the holocaust. Paladino later apologized for the statement. [14]
Drag Queen Story Hour
In March 2023,Paladino was removed from the City Council's Mental Health Committee in what she claimed to be retaliation for her comments about Drag Queen Story Hour,a program in which drag performers read storybooks to children at schools and public libraries. Paladino referred to the program as "'cultural indoctrination'" and "'child grooming'". Paladino added,"'Our kids are lagging in school... They are two and four years behind in basic education,math,reading,science,they need to get back to basics...and to concentrate our efforts on drag queens seems like a terrible waste of time and energy'". [15]
Violent rhetoric
On May 3,2024,in response to campus protests against Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip,Paladino called college students "monsters" who must be "slayed" in New York City. [16]
In January 2025,in response to a report by a StreetsBlog NYC reporter on illegal parking on sidewalks by the New York City Police Department,Paladino posted on X that “You can just tell when a guy has never been punched in the face.” [17] Paladino's post was criticized for promoting violence by a spokesperson for the New York City Council who said it was "unacceptable and can lead to a dangerous escalation that undermines public safety."
Allegations of nepotism
Paladino has a son,Thomas Paladino Jr.,who has worked as her spokesperson. [18] Paladino has been criticized for her employment of her son after press reported that he was an active user of alt-tech social network Gab where he made posts suggesting Africans were "savages" and implying that California Congresswoman Maxine Waters should be shot. [19] In response to criticism,Paladino Jr. claimed he was not suggesting Waters should be killed and was not being racist when referring to Africans as "savages."
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