President Donald Trump warned voters on Monday that New York City’s “survival” is at stake should Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani win the mayoral election, saying he may withhold federal funding from the city if that happens.
In a post on Truth Social ahead of Tuesday’s election, Trump said, “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, because, as a Communist, this once-great city has ZERO chance of success, or even survival.”
He described Mamdani as “a Communist,” claimed that the city “can only get worse with a Communist at the helm,” and argued that he would not want to “send good money after bad.”
In an official endorsement of former New York State governor Andrew Cuomo, Trump said, “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it; Mamdani is not!”
Trump called Mamdani “a nothing” as an Assemblyman and warned that a vote for Republican Curtis Sliwa would “be a vote for Mamdani.”
Mamdani, 34, a progressive Democrat born in Uganda and raised in New York, is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar Mahmood Mamdani. He won the Democratic primary in June, defeating Cuomo, and has campaigned on lowering living costs, freezing rent for rent-stabilized tenants, and expanding affordable housing.
Cuomo, whose governorship ended amid scandal, is seeking a political comeback as an independent.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, with early voting concluded on Sunday.
Trump’s remarks inject national politics into the closely watched mayoral race, as New York City faces mounting concerns over affordability, public safety, and governance.
