Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, who some have dubbed the “white female [Zohran] Mamdani,” delivered her first State of the City address Tuesday, and the event immediately attracted scrutiny after a chaotic opening derailed what was meant to be a marquee moment for the newly sworn-in leader.
Wilson, who took office approximately six weeks ago, took to the podium to outline her vision for the city. Before diving into policy, she acknowledged the scope of what lay ahead.
“Good morning. How are you all doing today? OK. Are you ready for this? I don’t think I’ve ever talked for as long as I’m about to talk, so we’ll see how it goes,” Wilson told the crowd.
The lighthearted opener was quickly followed by disruption.
Wilson struggled visibly with both the teleprompter positioning and audio equipment shortly after beginning her remarks.
Local media captured the moment as it unfolded in real time.
“Sorry. Can you please? Technical difficulties. OK,” Wilson said from the podium during the disruption.
Local outlets confirmed the mayor encountered “some technical difficulties with audio and the teleprompter” in the early moments of the address.
Despite the rough start, Wilson recovered and pressed forward, ultimately delivering a prepared speech that ran approximately 40 minutes in length.
The address covered a wide range of municipal topics, including housing affordability, public safety, climate initiatives, and city services.
Critics seized on the technical stumble, characterizing the moment as a reflection of broader concerns surrounding the new mayor’s preparedness and leadership approach.
“It’s like Seattle & LA are competing for the worst Mayor,” said one X user.
Another wrote, “She’s walking in AOC’s footsteps way to go loser.”
A third penned, “Its like watching something so embarrassing that it makes you ashamed to have even seent it in the first place.”
A fourth said, “She doesn’t need to know anything beyond reading what her handlers send her on her phone. Think AOC at Munich.”
Wilson’s supporters have described her as a progressive reformer.
Her mayoral campaign centered on issues of affordability, with Wilson arguing that rising rents, stagnant wages, and limited housing supply were placing pressure on Seattle families.
“She’s a tool for the homeless industrial complex,” one X user said following Wilson’s embarrassing speech. “Soon they will have other uses for her to embezzle as much money as they can before uninstalling her.”
Wilson has promised to “Trump-proof” Seattle, sending shockwaves through Washington’s largest city. The new mayor’s agenda mirrors that of New York City’s socialist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
President Donald Trump has slammed her as a “very liberal-slash-communist mayor” and dismissed her as “another beauty,” threatening to pull six scheduled 2026 FIFA World Cup matches from Seattle if problems arise.
Wilson told the Seattle Times back in November that she is willing to meet with President Trump to defend her city.
“I’ll meet with anyone. I mean, he’s the president of the United States,” she said.
“There are going to be some people who probably see taking those meetings as selling out. But a lot of people on the progressive left understand it’s going to take bold action to deliver on a progressive agenda.”
