Donald Trump is sounding the alarm over Zohran Mamdani, the self-claimed Democratic socialist who just stunned New York City by winning the Democratic mayoral primary. At just 33, Mamdani is poised to become NYC’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor, running on a bold platform of free public transit, universal childcare, rent freezes, and higher taxes for the wealthy. Trump has labeled Mamdani a 'communist' and warned that his victory would spell disaster for the city. Why has this candidate become a national headache for the US President?
00:00The Democratic primary for New York City's 2025 mayoral race wrapped up on 24th of June.
00:07This year, voters used ranked choice voting, letting them rank up to five candidates in order of preference.
00:14When the first choice votes were tallied on election night, State Assemblyman Zoharan Mamdani led the pack with 43.5%.
00:21Former Governor Andrew Cuomo came in second at 36.4% and Brad Lander was third with 11.3%.
00:29The rest of the votes were split among eight other candidates.
00:33Cuomo, who many saw as the favorite for much of the race, conceded to Mamdani that night, calling it a major upset.
00:41But since no one got over 50% of the vote, the final outcome will be decided by rank choice tabulation.
00:48Here is how it works.
00:49The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and those ballots are redistributed to the next choice marked by those voters.
00:58This process repeats, eliminating the lowest candidate and redistributing their votes until someone crosses the 50% threshold.
01:07This rank-based counting starts on 1st of July, 2025.
01:12Whoever emerges as a Democratic nominee will face off against current mayor Eric Adams in the general election on 4th of November.
01:21Adams, who won as a Democrat in 2021, is now running for re-election as an Independent.
01:27But what is gaining attention is Zoran Mamdani's run for mayor.
01:32It has sparked intense debate and drawn national and international headlines.
01:37His recent remarks on the Israel-Gaza conflict, especially saying that he'd have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visited New York, have triggered outrage.
01:47Last year, he said,
01:49I will always be clear in language and in facts.
01:52Israel is committing a genocide.
01:55He also said that as mayor, I would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York.
02:02This is a city where our values align with international law.
02:06It's time for our actions too.
02:08Mamdani's vocal support for the boycott, divestment and sanctions, i.e. BDS movement, and his claim that Israel is committing genocide have drawn sharp criticism from Jewish groups, moderate Democrats and national figures.
02:23President Donald Trump did not hold back after the primary.
02:26In an interview, he said,
02:27Trump went on to say that
02:45I can tell you this, whoever is mayor of New York is going to have to behave themselves or the federal government is going down very tough on them financially.
02:54Critics argue that Mamdani's policies go far beyond democratic socialism and veer into outright communism.
03:07Zoran Mamdani is 33 years old and has represented Astoria and Long Island City in the New York State Assembly
03:14since 2020.
03:16He is the son of acclaimed filmmaker Meera Nair and political theorist Mehmood Mamdani.
03:21Born in Uganda, he moved to New York at age 7.
03:25Before politics, Mamdani was a hip-hop artist performing as Mr. Cardamom.
03:31In 2025, he married Syrian artist Rama Duwaji.
03:36Mamdani's campaign is built on fare-free city buses,
03:40city-run grocery stores,
03:42a rent freeze,
03:43expanded public housing,
03:45and a $30 minimum wage by 2030.
03:47He is also pushing for a millionaire tax,
03:50an extra two-person income tax on New Yorkers,
03:52earning over $1 million a year,
03:55which he says could raise up to $4 billion annually for public programs.
04:01His remarks on Israel have led to widespread condemnation.
04:04The Anti-Defamation League has called on all candidates to avoid language that plays into anti-Semitic tropes.
04:12Cuomo's campaign has also called Mamdani's rhetoric dangerous and moderate Democrats have distanced themselves.
04:19Many of Mamdani's critics label him a communist,
04:23pointing to his proposals for city ownership of businesses, strict rent controls, and public childcare.
04:29They argue that these aren't just reforms, but a push for government control over the economy.
04:40The controversy also grew after Mamdani said he would not share a stage with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
04:47calling him a quote-unquote war criminal and drawing parallels to Benjamin Netanyahu.
04:52The backlash has been fierce.
04:54Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican representative from Georgia,
04:58posted a digitally altered image of the Statue of Liberty in a blank burqa.
05:02Another Republican, Nancy Mace, a representative from South Carolina,
05:07shared a photo of Mamdani in traditional attire, writing,
05:11After 9-11, we said,
05:13Never forget, I think we sadly have forgotten.
05:16With primary results now nearing and general elections,
05:19in November this year, Mamdani remains a polarizing figure.
05:24His statements in policy proposals have set off a heated debate
05:29about New York City's future and the line between progressive reform and radical ideology.
