In a recent exclusive interview with 60 Minutes, former President Donald Trump discussed the highly scrutinized race for New York City mayor, hinting at the possibility of withholding federal funding if Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani is elected. The 34-year-old assemblyman from Queens has proposed a series of policies aimed at addressing affordability in the city, including free child care, a rent freeze, and free public transportation.
During the interview, Trump labeled the young politician a communist, suggesting he is even more extreme than a socialist. When asked by host O'Donnell about comparisons drawn between Mamdani and Trump himself—citing their charisma and rule-breaking tendencies—Trump humorously retorted, “I think I’m a much better looking person than him, right?”
Mamdani has voiced concerns regarding his opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, claiming that if Cuomo were to win, he would effectively serve as a “puppet” for Trump. “What scares me in this moment is the prospect of Donald Trump’s puppet becoming the mayor,” Mamdani stated in an interview with NBC News. He believes that Cuomo is reliant on funds from Trump’s wealthy donors to secure his path to City Hall.
In a separate interview with PBS, Cuomo made alarming assertions, claiming that if Mamdani were to win, Trump would take over New York City and potentially deploy the U.S. military. “He will be President Trump and Mayor Trump … he’s going to take over New York City and send tanks down Fifth Avenue,” Cuomo claimed. Trump dismissed these assertions as “crazy,” stating, “When I left New York, we were at the epitome. It was a great city … but there were some bad sides because we had a guy named Former Mayor Bill de Blasio, the worst mayor in history.”
Amid these heated exchanges, Trump reiterated his threat to withhold federal funds from New York City if Mamdani ascends to the mayoralty. When asked how he would respond if Mamdani were to become mayor, Trump said, “It’s going to be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York. Because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there.”
In response to Trump's comments, Mamdani remains confident that New York City will continue to receive federal funding if he is elected mayor. “We will continue to receive funding from the federal government, and it’s not because of President Trump’s generosity. That’s because it is the law,” he affirmed to reporters approximately three weeks ago.
Interestingly, Trump expressed a preference for Cuomo over Mamdani during the interview, stating, “I’m not a fan of Cuomo … but if it’s going to be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m going to pick the bad Democrat all the time.” This sentiment underscores the contentious and polarized nature of the current mayoral race in New York City.
The ongoing election campaign continues to generate significant media attention, highlighting the contrasting visions for the future of New York City. As voters prepare to cast their ballots, the implications of federal funding and the political ideologies at play remain central topics of discussion.
