Trump Brands NYC Mayoral Contender Mamdani a “Communist Lunatic,” Pledges to Revive City

Former US President Donald Trump escalated his attacks against New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday, labeling him a “communist lunatic” and vowing to make the city “hot and great again.”

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared he would prevent Mamdani from “destroying” New York City, claiming he “held all the cards.” “As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards. I’ll save New York City, and make it ‘Hot’ and ‘Great’ again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!” Trump wrote.

Trump intensified his criticism of the 33-year-old Mamdani following Mamdani’s victory in last month’s Democratic mayoral primary against former mayor Andrew Cuomo, who conceded the race. Trump described Mamdani as a “100 per cent communist lunatic,” claiming he looked “terrible” and wasn’t “very smart.” Mamdani countered, stating he is not a “communist.”

Trump further threatened Mamdani with arrest if he defied federal immigration authorities. Trump suggested Mamdani’s stated refusal to allow ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to arrest undocumented immigrants in New York City could have legal repercussions. “Well, then we’ll have to arrest him. We don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump stated when questioned about Mamdani.

Mamdani responded by pledging not to be intimidated, accusing Trump of abusing presidential power to silence political opposition. “The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported. Not because I have broken any law but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorise our city,” Mamdani asserted.

Mamdani secured a significant victory over Cuomo in the first round of the Democratic mayoral primary last month. With 90% of ballots counted, he held 43.5% of the vote, effectively securing the nomination. If elected in November, he would become the first US mayor of South Asian descent.

Who is Zohran Mamdani?

Mamdani, born in Kampala, Uganda, is the son of award-winning director Mira Nair and Indian-born Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani. He is currently a New York State Assemblyman representing Queens and is affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America. Mamdani moved to New York with his parents at age seven and is married to Syrian-born Brooklyn artist Rama Duwaji.

The 33-year-old has pledged major reforms if elected mayor, including freezing rents for all stabilised tenants and aggressively expanding affordable housing construction to address the city’s crisis. His campaign also promises a public transit overhaul: making all city buses permanently fare-free while accelerating priority lanes, bus queue-jump signals, and dedicated loading zones to reduce delays.

Mamdani is known for his outspoken foreign policy views, particularly a strong pro-Palestinian stance that has drawn criticism from pro-Israeli groups. He has stated he would seek the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited New York City, referencing International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued in November 2024. Past remarks critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have also garnered attention and criticism in India from both the BJP and Congress parties.