- “We want New York to succeed,” Trump says.
- Trump says: “Let’s see how Mamdani behaves in New York. »
- He claims the United States lost its “sovereignty” after New Yorkers elected Mamdani.
MIAMI: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that “we want New York to succeed” and that he could offer US aid to Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist elected mayor of New York.
“We’re going to help him, maybe a little bit,” Trump said during a speech in Miami a day after the election.
In a speech in Miami, a day after Mamdani’s convincing victory, Trump said: “Let’s see how Mamdani performs in New York.” »
He added that the United States had lost its “sovereignty” after New Yorkers elected Mamdani, a left-winger, as their next mayor.
“We’ll take care of it,” Trump said without explaining what he meant, while claiming the nation’s largest city would go communist.
Trump added that the Florida city “will soon be the refuge for those fleeing communism in New York.”
“The decision facing all Americans could not be clearer: We have a choice between communism and common sense,” he said, also spelling out the choice between an “economic nightmare” and an “economic miracle.”
This speech marked the first anniversary of Trump’s electoral victory against Democrat Kamala Harris.
“We saved our economy, regained our freedom, and together we saved our country on that magnificent night 365 days ago,” Trump told his audience of supporters.
Mamdani’s mayoral victory came despite fierce attacks on his politics and Muslim heritage from business elites, conservative media commentators and Trump himself.
“If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Trump how to defeat him, it’s the city that birthed him,” Mamdani said in his victory speech Tuesday night.
Mamdani’s victory, along with other Democratic Party victories in gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, suggest a shift in the political mood as the country looks toward next year’s midterm elections, where control of Congress will be at stake.
Another important victory for Democrats: California voters approved a proposal to redraw voting districts in an effort to neutralize gerrymandering efforts ordered by Trump in other states.
Trump refused to take any responsibility for Tuesday’s results.
In a post on his Truth Social network, he cited anonymous “pollsters” suggesting that Republican defeats were due to the government shutdown and his own name not appearing on the ballot.
The 34-year-old democratic socialist made history by becoming the first Muslim mayor of the largest city in the United States, defeating former Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo.
Earlier, Trump acknowledged that Democrats’ sweeping electoral gains were a sign of growing difficulties for Republicans, calling the results “not good” and linking the setbacks to the record federal government shutdown, now stretching into its sixth week.
Speaking to Republican senators at a White House breakfast, Trump reflected on the outcome, saying it hadn’t been a positive evening for anyone.
The US president said: “We had an interesting evening, we learned a lot and we are going to talk about it.”
He attributed the Republican setbacks in part to the prolonged government shutdown, citing pollsters who found that “a significant and negative factor for Republicans.” Trump added that some analysts saw his absence from the vote as the most important factor.
Trump accused Democrats of being ready to destroy the country as the government shutdown on Wednesday became the longest in history, eclipsing the record of 35 days set during the Republican leader’s first term.
Mamdani to Trump: “Turn up the volume”
Mamdani wasted no time in calling out President Trump, officially kicking off the battle that will likely define relations between the 34-year-old mayor and the president whose celebrity is linked to the city.
“Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: turn up the volume!” Mamdani, a Democrat, said Tuesday night during a speech to a raucous crowd of supporters shortly after he was declared the winner.
“If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it’s the city that birthed him,” Mamdani told supporters. “And if there’s a way to terrify a despot, it’s by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to amass power. That’s not just how we’ll stop Trump, it’s how we’ll stop the next one.”
