Colin Kaepernick spent ten years telling America that voting was for suckers.
Now one politician just changed his mind.
And when you find out who changed Kaepernick’s mind, you'll understand exactly where the Democrat Party is heading.
From "Hypocrite to Vote" to Full Socialist Cheerleader
Let's be clear about what Kaepernick actually said in 2016.
He had never registered to vote – not in California, not in Nevada during his college years at UNR, not anywhere, in any election, since he became eligible in 2005.
And he was proud of it.
"I think it would be hypocritical of me to vote," Kaepernick told reporters after a 49ers loss. "I said from the beginning I was against oppression, I was against the system of oppression. I'm not going to show support for that system. And to me, the oppressor isn't going to allow you to vote your way out of your oppression."
That was the philosophy he sold America – wrapped in a kneeling protest, a Nike deal, and years of media fawning.
Now he has a memoir coming out, The Perilous Fight, dropping September 15 – timed to the ten-year anniversary of his anthem protests.
And suddenly voting isn't oppression anymore.
"The realization coming out of the 2016 election is how significant the implications can be of not voting," Kaepernick now says. "Part of trying to seek the best way for us to move forward and have impact is also realizing the moments where the intention of the perspective was right, but the strategy behind it actually wasn't."
He also admits he voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024.
But Zohran Mamdani?
Now that's a politician who fires Kaepernick up.
The Socialist Who Won New York
Mamdani was sworn in as New York City's 112th mayor on January 1, 2026 – with Bernie Sanders administering the oath and a Quran in hand.
He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
He campaigned on rent freezes, free city buses, city-owned grocery stores, universal childcare, and a $30 minimum wage.
He beat Andrew Cuomo in the Democrat primary – which tells you everything you need to know about where the Democrat Party is heading.
Republicans flagged the threat immediately.
The NRCC positioned Mamdani as the face of Democrat radicalism within hours of his inauguration, promising to tie him to every vulnerable House Democrat in 2026.
"Every time Mamdani opens his mouth or swipes his pen, he tattoos the Democrat Party's failures onto every House Democrat facing voters in 2026," NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said.
They were right to be paying attention.
What Kaepernick's Enthusiasm Actually Tells You
When the man who called America a "system of oppression" finds his political awakening in a Democratic Socialist mayor who swore on the Quran, that's not a coincidence.
That's a message.
The Left is betting that Mamdani's brand of unapologetic socialism – free everything, tax the rich, government controls the grocery store – is the path back to power after Trump handed them two consecutive national defeats.
And they're using celebrities like Kaepernick to spread that pitch to people who have tuned out mainstream Democrat politicians entirely.
https://twitter.com/BoLoudon/status/2096631479879319887?s=20
Think about that: the same man who said you couldn't vote your way out of oppression is now urging disaffected leftists back into the political system – because a socialist is finally delivering the agenda they actually want.
That's not an evolution.
That's a recruitment drive.
Your 70-year-old uncle saw Kaepernick trash-talk America for a decade. He watched the Nike boycotts. He watched the NFL ratings crash.
And now that same man wants to tell him who to vote for.
Sources:
- Warner Todd Huston, "Colin Kaepernick Claims Socialist NY Mayor Mamdani Makes Him Want to Vote," Breitbart, September 8, 2026.
- "Colin Kaepernick Explains Why He Didn't Vote in Election, Would Be 'Hypocritical,'" CBS Sports, November 2016.
- "Report: Colin Kaepernick Has Never Registered to Vote in an Election," Washington Free Beacon, November 2016.
- Anthony Izaguirre and The Associated Press, "Mamdani Vows to 'Govern as a Democratic Socialist,'" Fortune, January 1, 2026.
- Paul Kasabian, "Colin Kaepernick's New Book Gets Release Date," Bleacher Report, April 7, 2026.