U.S. President Donald Trump has urged New York’s newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani to show “respect” toward Washington if he hopes to succeed. His remarks came shortly after Mamdani’s historic victory as the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York City.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump reacted to Mamdani’s victory speech, in which the mayor-elect vowed to “stand up” to the president. Calling the comments “dangerous,” Trump said, “He has to be a little bit respectful of Washington, because if he’s not, he doesn’t have a chance of succeeding.”
The president clarified that his goal was to ensure the city’s progress. “I want to make him succeed. I want to make the city succeed,” Trump added, emphasizing that his support was conditional and based on cooperation between federal and local leadership.
During a speech at the American Business Forum in Miami, Trump criticized Mamdani’s political ideology, labeling him a “communist.” However, he also said that his administration would “help him a little bit” for the sake of New York. “The communists, Marxists, and globalists had their chance and delivered disaster,” he said. “Now let’s see how a communist does in New York.”
Zohran Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist, dismissed Trump’s comments and reiterated his focus on social welfare reforms. His proposed plans include universal childcare, free public buses, and government-run grocery stores to tackle inequality in the city.
In his victory speech, Mamdani directly addressed the president, saying, “Turn the volume up,” promising to make New York a model for defeating “Trumpism.” Despite his criticism, Mamdani said he remains open to dialogue with the White House.
In other news read more about How Did Zohran Mamdani Go from Queens Assemblyman to NYC’s First Muslim Mayor?
The new mayor will take office on January 1, leading a city of 8.5 million people at a time of deep political division.
