President Donald Trump on Sunday issued a warning for New York city mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive Democratic nominee who defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in last week’s primary and sent shockwaves throughout the national political establishment.

The president called Mamdani a “lunatic” and said it was “inconceivable” that the democratic socialist could actually win the mayoral election, but said that if he should succeed, the new mayor is “going to need to do the right thing, or they’re not getting any money.”

Why It Matters

Mamdani is a New York State assemblyman representing the part of Queens Borough that includes Astoria, Ditmars, and Astoria Heights. He won his seat in 2021 standing as a Democrat, but he identifies as a democratic socialist, specifically.

Thanks to blockbuster endorsements from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, as well as a platform built on promises that includes free city bus rides, free childcare, and city-owned groceries, Mamdani defied expectations and overcame a gargantuan deficit to defeat Cuomo.

His victory has sparked debate about the direction of the Democratic Party and the influence of progressive platforms, marking a potential shift in national and local Democratic politics.

What To Know

Trump sat down last week for an interview with Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo that aired on Sunday morning. The president discussed a range of topics, including the execution of his immigration policy, his frustration with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and the results of the Democratic primary for the mayor of New York City.

As a longtime resident of the city, Trump called Mamdani a “communist” who would be “very bad for New York.”

“I don’t know that he’s going to get in,” Trump said. “It’s inconceivable that he’s, but he’s a communist, and he’s a pure communist.”

“But let’s say this. 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. He’s going to do the right thing,” Trump said. “It’s shocking that I would have assumed that—I used to say, we will never have a socialist in this country, no, but we’ll have a communist.”

“I was very surprised,” Trump said, adding that he had “never heard of” Mamdani before the primary, adding, “I don’t know who he is.”

Bartiromo noted that Mamdani has already pledged to fight U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) and would work to stymie their operations in the city. She also highlighted a comment Mamdani made in December 2024 in which he said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited New York City.

“As mayor, New York City would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu. This is a city that our values are in line with international law. It’s time that our actions are also,” Mamdani told former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan.

When asked about Mamdani’s comments, Trump said, “Well, he’s a radical left lunatic.”

However, for all his criticism of Mamdani, Trump refused to back another candidate. Curtis Sliwa once again secured the Republican nomination, but Cuomo and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have announced they will run as independent candidates.

“I don’t want to say that because, you know, I have a lot of people, a lot of friends, and I have everybody, so I don’t want to get into that,” Trump said. “I can tell you this, whoever’s mayor of New York is going to have to behave themselves, or the federal government is coming down very tough on them financially.”

What People Are Saying

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with the Democratic Party, last week wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Mamdani won. The establishment is in panic. Billionaires are raising money against him; Trump is ranting; Islamophobes are on the loose. They know what we know: Candidates who stand boldly with the working class can win not only in NYC, but anywhere. Let’s stand with Zohran.”

President Donald Trump last week wrote on Truth Social: “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor. We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous. He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!”

What Happens Next?

Mamdani, 33, has yet to secure endorsements from the biggest Democratic officials, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both coincidentally of New York.

The New York City mayoral election will take place on November 4, 2025.