Democratic candidate for New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has pushed back against accusations from President Donald Trump, who labeled him a communist and a “radical left lunatic” during a recent appearance on Fox News. Mamdani, a 33-year-old state Assembly member, denied the claims and accused the president of using divisive rhetoric to distract from the core issues of the mayoral race.
In a June 29 interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Mamdani stated, “He wants to distract from what I’m fighting for. I’m fighting for the very working people he claimed to represent, but later betrayed.” He also criticized the president’s repeated comments targeting his appearance, background, and political identity, saying such remarks are meant to deflect attention from substantive policy debates.
Mamdani clarified that while Trump continues to call him a communist, he is in fact a democratic socialist. Unlike communists, who advocate for the collective ownership of all property and the dismantling of capitalism, democratic socialists support reforming capitalism through democratic means to achieve social and economic justice.
The heated exchange comes after Mamdani won the Democratic primary, defeating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The upcoming general election in November includes incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, and another independent candidate.
Trump has warned that if Mamdani becomes mayor and maintains New York’s sanctuary city status, there could be significant financial repercussions. “If he does get in, I’m going to be president, and he’s going to have to do the right thing or they’re not getting any money,” Trump said. “Whoever is the mayor of New York is going to have to behave themselves or the federal government is coming down very tough on them financially.”
In response, Mamdani reaffirmed his commitment to keeping New York a sanctuary city, stating that the policy has contributed to public safety and protected vulnerable communities for decades. “This is a policy that had previously been defended by Democrats and Republicans alike, until the fear mongering of this current mayor,” he said.
Mayor Eric Adams, who recently avoided legal troubles after the Department of Justice dropped corruption charges against him, has proposed changes to the city’s sanctuary policies and advocated for increased cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Critics argue that his shifting stance is politically motivated and aimed at gaining favor with the Trump administration.
Mamdani, who immigrated to the United States as a child, has also faced calls for deportation from several prominent Republicans, further intensifying the political tensions surrounding the mayoral race.
With the race heating up and national attention increasing, the outcome of New York’s mayoral election is poised to have broader implications, particularly in how city leadership may clash—or cooperate—with federal policies in a potential second Trump administration.
