Trump Threatens to Cut Funds for New York City if 'Communist' Zohran Mamdani Wins Mayoral Election
In a brazen move that has sent shockwaves through the already intense mayoral election in New York, President Donald Trump warned voters on Monday that he would withhold federal funding from the city unless "communist" candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the election.
Trump's comments were made in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, where he claimed that if Mamdani takes office, he would only contribute the minimum required federal funds to New York City. The president's statement was reminiscent of his remarks during an appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes last Sunday, in which he stated that it would be "hard for me as the president" to send money to a city with a communist candidate.
The threat has sparked outrage among Mamdani's supporters and allies, who argue that Trump is overstepping his constitutional authority by withholding funding without congressional approval. The federal government does not directly determine how much money a city receives from Washington; appropriation is a constitutional function of Congress.
The White House has already begun to implement this policy in other areas, including the ongoing standoff with New York State over congestion pricing for car traffic. Last year, Trump withheld $18 billion for a tunnel project as part of a government shutdown, only to have a federal judge order the administration to reverse the rescission and release $34 million in counterterrorism funding.
Mamdani's campaign has been riding high on recent polling numbers, with a 10-point lead over his opponents. However, Trump has vowed to do everything in his power to prevent Mamdani from winning, including using his influence to sway voters in Cuomo's favor.
The New York City mayoral election is set to take place on Tuesday, and the outcome will have significant implications for the city's budget, infrastructure, and social services. As one of Trump's most vocal critics, Zohran Mamdani has positioned himself as a champion for working-class families and a fierce opponent of the billionaire's policies.
In response to Trump's comments, Mamdani delivered a scathing critique on Monday evening, calling out the president's attempt to intimidate voters into supporting his preferred candidate. "This funding is not something that Donald Trump is giving us here in New York City," he said. "This is something that we are, in fact, owed in New York."
In a brazen move that has sent shockwaves through the already intense mayoral election in New York, President Donald Trump warned voters on Monday that he would withhold federal funding from the city unless "communist" candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the election.
Trump's comments were made in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, where he claimed that if Mamdani takes office, he would only contribute the minimum required federal funds to New York City. The president's statement was reminiscent of his remarks during an appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes last Sunday, in which he stated that it would be "hard for me as the president" to send money to a city with a communist candidate.
The threat has sparked outrage among Mamdani's supporters and allies, who argue that Trump is overstepping his constitutional authority by withholding funding without congressional approval. The federal government does not directly determine how much money a city receives from Washington; appropriation is a constitutional function of Congress.
The White House has already begun to implement this policy in other areas, including the ongoing standoff with New York State over congestion pricing for car traffic. Last year, Trump withheld $18 billion for a tunnel project as part of a government shutdown, only to have a federal judge order the administration to reverse the rescission and release $34 million in counterterrorism funding.
Mamdani's campaign has been riding high on recent polling numbers, with a 10-point lead over his opponents. However, Trump has vowed to do everything in his power to prevent Mamdani from winning, including using his influence to sway voters in Cuomo's favor.
The New York City mayoral election is set to take place on Tuesday, and the outcome will have significant implications for the city's budget, infrastructure, and social services. As one of Trump's most vocal critics, Zohran Mamdani has positioned himself as a champion for working-class families and a fierce opponent of the billionaire's policies.
In response to Trump's comments, Mamdani delivered a scathing critique on Monday evening, calling out the president's attempt to intimidate voters into supporting his preferred candidate. "This funding is not something that Donald Trump is giving us here in New York City," he said. "This is something that we are, in fact, owed in New York."
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trump's trying to strong-arm a whole city like that? it's not right at all... Mamdani's just trying to help his community and make a difference, but trump's gonna try to shut him down? 
the fact that he's using federal funding as leverage is straight up manipulative... Congress should step in here and put an end to this kind of bullying. We need leaders who care about serving their people, not trying to use power to control others 
Mamdani's response was fire tho 
, and I hope his campaign has a solid plan to counter Trump's dirty tricks. Can someone fact-check if Trump really withdrew funds last year? 
. Like, what even is the point of a mayor who's supposed to represent the people if they're just gonna play hardball with the federal government? It's not like Trump is even thinking about the city's actual needs right now – it's all about flexing his muscle and showing Mamdani who's boss. Newsflash, Donald: threatening funding isn't a campaign promise, it's just bully tactics 
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what do you think about urban beekeeping? is it something we should be doing more of?
. And let's be real, if Trump's gonna do this, he should at least have the decency to give NYC a heads up instead of posting it on Truth Social like some kind of social media tantrum 
. The fact that his campaign is trying to sway voters in Cuomo's favor just shows how desperate they are 
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newsflash, trump: you're not above the law, dude. this is just another example of him trying to exert his power and control over the city, which is just wrong on so many levels 
. mamdani's right to call out this attempt at intimidation - the people of ny deserve better than a president who thinks he can strong-arm them into supporting him