Trump threatens to cut federal funds to New York if Mamdani wins mayoral race

US President Donald Trump has threatened to restrict federal funding to New York City if Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani wins the upcoming mayoral election, calling the candidate a “Communist” and urging voters to back Independent contender Andrew Cuomo instead.

In a post on Truth Social on November 4, Trump warned that his administration would provide only the “very minimum” of federal support required by law should Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens, become mayor, Caliber.Az reports.

“If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the Election for Mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home,” Trump wrote. “It can only get worse with a Communist at the helm… I would much rather see a Democrat, who has had a Record of Success, WIN, than a Communist with no experience and a Record of COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE.”

Trump went on to warn that a Mamdani victory would lead to “a Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster,” adding that “a vote for Curtis Sliwa (who looks much better without the beret!) is a vote for Mamdani.” He concluded by urging New Yorkers to “vote for [Andrew] Cuomo” instead.

Cuomo, a former Democratic governor of New York now running as an Independent, downplayed Trump’s remarks, saying: “He’s not endorsing me. He’s opposing Mamdani.”

Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist, and has rejected accusations he is a communist, joking in one television interview that he was "kind of like a Scandinavian politician.”

If elected, Mamdani, 34, would become New York City’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest in more than a century.

The election for the new mayor of New York City will take place on November 4. Early voting began for city residents on October 25. 

By Sabina Mammadli