Trump threatens to cut off funds if “communist” Mamdani wins the mayoral election | Donald Trump
On the eve of New York’s well-watched mayoral election, President Donald Trump issued a threat to voters: Floor Zahran Mamdani or stand down.
“If Communist candidate Zahran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral election, it is highly unlikely that I will contribute federal funds, other than the minimum required, to my beloved first home,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “I don’t want, as president, to send good money after bad money.”
Trump’s comments echoed those aired Sunday during an appearance on CBS’ 60 Minutes, in which he said: “It’s going to be hard for me as 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.”
The president does not directly determine how much money any city receives from the federal government; Appropriation is the constitutional function of Congress. Control how money is spent – or withhold it in the booking business Forbidden under federal law – has become a point of increasing legal contention.
The Trump administration is on track to make good on this threat even before the votes are counted. The White House began sparring with the state over New York’s plan to impose congestion pricing on automobile traffic earlier this year, which Trump revisited in a separate Truth Social post Monday evening. The White House withheld $18 billion for a tunnel project as the government shutdown began. A federal judge ordered the federal government to reverse the cancellation of about $34 million in counterterrorism funding for New York City, ruling the move “arbitrary, capricious and a flagrant violation of the law.”
Trump’s post described the vote for Mamdani’s fellow Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa as a “vote for Mamdani” and hinted at favoring the independent candidate, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“I would rather see a Democrat with a record of success win than a communist with no experience and a record of complete and utter failure,” Trump wrote.
Cuomo, who has been a lifelong Democrat but ran in the mayoral race this year as an independent to bypass the Democratic primary, frequent the president wrote moments after the post while speaking with 77WABC Radio.
He added: “It is now up to the Republicans, and I hope they will listen to the president.”
Later Monday, Mamdani publicly responded to Trump’s comments at a campaign event in Astoria, Queens, saying he had known “for months” that Trump would support Cuomo.
He added: “In these last days, what was rumored and what was feared has become naked and without shame.” New York Times. “Andrew Cuomo’s embrace of MAGA reflects Donald Trump’s understanding that this will be the best mayor for him — not the best mayor for New York City, not the best mayor for New Yorkers, but the best mayor for Donald Trump and his administration.”
Mamdani also noted that he “will treat this threat as it is: it is a threat. It is not a law. It is a threat.”
“And too often, we treat everything that comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth as if it were already legal, just by virtue of whoever said it.”
He later added: “This funding is not something Donald Trump is giving us here in New York City. This is something that, in fact, we deserve in New York.”
Recent polls show Mamdani leading both opponents by at least 10 points. Intel Atlas Survey Results ending October 30 show Mamdani leading with 41% support, compared to Cuomo, who had 34%, and Sliwa, who had 24% support.