Trump calls Mamdani a ‘communist’ and says he will send troops to New York – NBC New York
President Donald Trump is renewing his threats against New York City, suggesting he will withdraw federal funds and deploy the National Guard, as he has in other major cities, if Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor.
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump again hurled insults at the Democratic nominee.
“We have a 33-year-old communist, who knows nothing, who’s probably never worked a day in his life, and he kind of gets it. I’m not going to send a lot of money to New York,” Trump said. “We’re not going to ruin one of our great cities, because we’ll make it great. We’ll eliminate crime in about 30 days.”
“It took 12 days to do Washington, DC, so New York is bigger, and Chicago, we’ve already made a lot of progress despite the government’s fights. All these cities, we want to clean them up,” he added. “We don’t like this opposition. But if someone wants to become communist mayor of New York, it’s a coincidence if they get in.”
These comments add to the arsenal Trump has used against the city. A day after Eric Adams abandoned his re-election bid, Trump called Mamdani “one of the best things that ever happened to our great Republican Party” and threatened to withhold federal funds if he won. He called him a communist, as he did again on Tuesday.
Mamdani had no immediate comment on the latest vaccine. He appeared at an event with Gov. Kathy Hochul Tuesday night, their first joint appearance since she endorsed him a month ago, noting some philosophical differences. Hochul pledged to support Mamdani, as well as the state of New York, when it comes to Trump.
The Democratic candidate is expected to take the stage Thursday, alongside independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, for the first mayoral general election debate on WNBC. Here’s how to watch it live.
Mayor Eric Adams said he was unable to raise money after his campaign was hampered for months by incessant rumors and pressure about dropping out. Now that he’s out of the race, some are wondering how the 9 percent of the vote he received in many polls will shake up the race. NBC New York’s Melissa Russo reports.
In at least one previous debate, Cuomo has made working with Trump a key part of his potential. Both Mamdani and Cuomo acknowledged the politically charged relationship with Washington, and both pledged to stand up to the president when it came to securing funding for New York City.
Cuomo said Mamdani didn’t have the experience. Mamdani said he doesn’t have Cuomo’s baggage.
Mamdani, 33, would be the city’s youngest and most liberal mayor in generations if elected. He decisively beat Cuomo in the Democratic primary by campaigning on a promise to lower the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities.
