US President Donald Trump blasted New York City's newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, calling his victory speech “very angry” and warning that communism “has never worked.”
“Yeah, I thought it was a very angry speech, certainly angry toward me, and I think he should be very nice to me,” Trump told Fox News. “You know, I'm the one who sort of has to approve a lot of things coming to him. So he's off to a bad start.”
Trump said he wants Mamdani to succeed for the sake of New York, but warned that the new mayor should show “respect” to Washington.
“Look, for a thousand years, communism has not worked,” Trump said. “It's just communism, or the concept of communism, has not worked. I tend to doubt it's going to work this time. … It's literally never worked.”
Speaking later at the America Business Forum in Miami, Trump tied Mamdani's win to what he called the Democrats' “extreme socialist agenda.”
“On November 5, 2024, the American people claimed our government. We restored our sovereignty. We lost a little bit of sovereignty last night in New York, but we'll take care of it,” he said.
“If you want to see what congressional Democrats wish to do to America, just look at the result of yesterday's election in New York, where their party installed a communist as the mayor of the largest city in the nation,” he added.
Mamdani defeated independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, who was endorsed by Trump.
In his victory speech Tuesday night, Mamdani delivered sharp remarks directed at the US president.
“After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him,” Mamdani said to loud applause. “And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.”
“This is not only how we stop Trump; it's how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up,” he said.
The New York City mayor elect vowed to hold “bad landlords” accountable and to challenge what he described as a system that favours the wealthy.
“We will hold bad landlords to account because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants,” Mamdani said. “We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks.”
As Mamdani wrapped up his speed, Trump posted on Truth Social, “…AND SO IT BEGINS!”
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
