After New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani’s Tuesday announcement that he will appoint an FDNY commissioner who never served as a firefighter, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claimed on Friday via X that “people will die because of this.”

On Tuesday, Mamdani announced that Lillian Bonsignore, New York City’s former emergency medical services chief and a longtime EMT, will lead the New York City Fire Department when he takes office in 2027. Bonsignore is set to make history as the FDNY’s first openly gay commissioner.

Musk’s comments were in response to a post from the X account @TheChiefNerd, which features a quote from a news clip announcing the new commissioner’s appointment, reading, “Although she never served as a firefighter, she’s confident that won’t matter.”

“People will die because of this,” wrote Musk on Friday. “Proven experience matters when lives are at stake.”

Notably, Bonsignore, New York City’s first female EMS chief, led her department through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Bonsignore’s calm, decisive leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic – when EMS professionals were more vital than ever – is exactly the kind of leadership our city needs in moments of uncertainty,” said Mamdani in a statement to City & State just before his announcement.

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