New York (BN24) – President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to withhold billions in federal funds from New York City if Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who recently won the Democratic mayoral primary, “doesn’t behave himself” if elected.
Trump’s remarks, delivered in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, came as he labeled Mamdani “a pure communist” and called his potential victory “inconceivable.”
“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,” Trump warned. “He’s got to do the right thing, or they’re not getting any money.”
More than $100 billion in federal funding flows into New York City annually through various programs and agencies, according to the city comptroller’s office.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Mamdani pushed back forcefully on Trump’s claims. “No, I am not” a communist, he said, adding that he expected the president to attack him personally. “I’ve already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from—ultimately because he wants to distract from what I’m fighting for.”
Mamdani cited civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who once said: “Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism. There has to be a better distribution of wealth.”
He reaffirmed his pledge to raise taxes on New York’s wealthiest residents as part of his plan to shift the tax burden away from working- and middle-class homeowners. “I don’t think that we should have billionaires,” he said. “Frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality. What we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and our country.”
Pressed about whether his proposal was racially motivated, Mamdani said it was based on economic disparities, not demographics. “It’s not driven by race,” he said. “It’s more of an assessment of what neighborhoods are being undertaxed versus overtaxed. It is not to work backwards from a racial assessment—it’s to ensure that we actually have an equal playing field.”
Mamdani’s unexpected win over former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the June 24 Democratic primary has rattled many moderate Democrats and sparked debate within the party. While progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed him, several high-profile Democrats, including Governor Kathy Hochul, have withheld support. Hochul responded to his victory cautiously, saying: “Obviously, there are areas of difference in our positions, but I also think we need to have those conversations.”
On Sunday, Mamdani expressed openness to working with the governor. “Ultimately, my policies, my vision, it’s driven by an assessment of what’s actually happening,” he said.
Asked whether he believed moderate Democrats were afraid of him, Mamdani replied: “I think people are catching up to this election. Ultimately, what we’re showing is that by putting working people first, by returning to the roots of the Democratic Party, we actually have a path out of this moment where we’re facing authoritarianism in Washington, D.C.”
Trump, for his part, called Mamdani’s proposals—including his vow to defy federal immigration crackdowns and to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York—“radical left lunacy.”
“He’s a radical left lunatic,” Trump said. “He’s going to be very unsuccessful.”
Mamdani concluded that Democrats must be more than just a party defined by opposition to Trump. “Our campaign was for working people, bringing dignity back into those lives,” he said.
