Zohran Mamdani isnāt backing down ā not even when the threat comes from the Oval Office.
After Donald Trump publicly floated the idea of deporting him, the Democratic nominee for NYC mayor is hitting back hard
Trump on edge
Zohran Mamdani is the breakout political name everyoneās suddenly talking about.
Just a week ago, the 33-year-old Democratic Socialist from Queens was barely known outside of New York. Now, heās being hailed as the next big hope for the Democratic Party after pulling off a shocking upset in the NYC mayoral primary, defeating party favorite Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and is Muslim, is pushing bold, Bernie Sanders-style policies like a $30 minimum wage, free public buses, universal preschool, and taxing the ultra-wealthy to pay for it all. His sudden rise has both the Democratic establishment and Donald Trump on edge
100% Communist Lunaticā
On Truth Social, Trump didnāt hold back, labeling Mamdani as āa 100% Communist Lunatic.ā In a follow-up interview with Fox Newsā Maria Bartiromo, the president made it clear he intended to use his influence if Mamdani gains power: āIf he does get in, Iām going to be president, and heās going to have to do the right thing or theyāre not getting any money, heās got to do the right thing.ā
Mamdani responded during an appearance on NBCās Meet the Press, saying heās already coming to terms with the personal nature of the attacks.
āI have already had to start to get used to, get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where Iām from, who I am, ultimately, because he wants to distract from what Iām fighting for, and Iām fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower, that he has since then betrayed.ā
āWe might have to arrest him..ā
At a press conference in Ochopee, Florida, after touring the new āAlligator Alcatrazā migrant detention center, Donald Trump attacked Zohran Mamdani once again when asked about Mamdaniās bold opposition to ICE raids.
āIf heās going to stand in the way, we might have to arrest him,ā Trump said bluntly.
āWe donāt need a communist running around in this country. And if weāve got one, Iāll be keeping a close eye on him ā for the good of the nation.ā
Trump went on to suggest that Mamdaniās legitimacy should be investigated, hinting at possible immigration issues. Mamdani, born to Indian parents, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018.
āWe send him support, we send him the resources he needs to govern⦠but now people are saying he might not even be here legally. Weāre going to check everything. Hopefully, he turns out to be less of a communist than he seems. But right now? Thatās not socialism. Thatās straight-up communism.ā
The remarks sparked immediate backlash ā and only added fuel to the growing spotlight on Mamdaniās rapidly rising profile.
Mamdaniās warning
Zohran Mamdani, a prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America āthe largest socialist organization in the United States ā fired back after being targeted by President Trump with threats of arrest and deportation.
In a powerful statement, Mamdani said, āThe president of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported. Not because I have broken any law but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorize our city.ā
He didnāt stop there. The Queens Assemblyman warned that this wasnāt just a personal attack ā it was a broader attempt to silence dissent:
āHis statements donāt just represent an attack on our democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.ā
Mamdani also criticized current New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for reelection as an independent, for echoing Trumpās rhetoric:
ā
At the very moment when MAGA Republicans are attempting to destroy the social safety net, kick millions of New Yorkers off of healthcare and enrich their billionaire donors at the expense of working families, it is a scandal that Eric Adams echoes this presidentās division, distraction and hate. Voters will resoundingly reject it in November.ā