Trump Warns He May Withhold Funding for New York if 'Communist' Candidate Mamdani Wins Mayoralty

US President Donald Trump warned that he "may object" to sending federal funding to his hometown, New York City, if left-wing candidate Zahran Mamdani wins the mayoralty this week.

Trump's Warning and Endorsement of Cuomo

• Accusation of Wasting Funds: In a televised interview, Trump said: "It would be hard for me as President to give a lot of money to New York, because if you have a communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there."

• Context: This warning comes as polls suggest Democratic candidate Mamdani is leading his main Democratic rival, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on the eve of Tuesday's election.

• Mamdani Criticism: Trump, who grew up in Queens, said that electing Mamdani would make former left-leaning Mayor Bill de Blasio "look great." He added that Mamdani "will do a much worse job than de Blasio."

• Reluctant Cuomo Endorsement: The Republican President revealed his backing for Democrat Andrew Cuomo, stating: "I'm not a fan of Cuomo in any way, but if the choice is between a bad Democrat and a communist, I will always choose the bad Democrat, to be honest with you."

Funding Background and Accusations

• Precedents for Withholding Funds: The Trump administration has repeatedly attempted to cut federal grants and funding for projects primarily located in Democrat-run areas (such as deploying the National Guard and blocking funding for jurisdictions limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities).

• Funding Amount: New York City received $7.4 billion in federal funding during the current fiscal year. Trump did not clarify the fate of this funding if Mamdani wins.

Stances of Mamdani and Cuomo

• Mamdani Denies Communism: Mamdani, 34, a member of the Legislative Assembly, describes himself as a Democratic Socialist. He rejected the communist label, joking that he is "somewhat like a Scandinavian politician, but with brown skin."

  • Mamdani's Response to Trump: Mamdani stated that dealing with Trump's presidency requires "not replicating another image of him here in City Hall," stressing the goal is to find an alternative that believes in the dignity of all New Yorkers.

• Cuomo's Counter-Attack: Andrew Cuomo attempted to fend off the attack by presenting himself as the only candidate with enough experience to deal with the Trump administration, stating: "I've confronted Donald Trump. When I defend New York, I won't stop."