US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that “we want New York to be successful” and indicated he might extend limited assistance to Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist recently elected as New York City’s first Muslim mayor. “We’ll help him, a little bit maybe,” Trump remarked during a speech in Miami, held a day after Mamdani’s decisive victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
While acknowledging Mamdani’s win, Trump warned that New York risked “communism,” claiming the US had “lost sovereignty” following the election. He suggested Florida would soon become “a refuge for those fleeing communism in New York,” casting the national political divide as a choice between “communism and common sense.”
Speaking on the first anniversary of his victory over Kamala Harris, Trump told supporters, “We rescued our economy, regained our liberty, and together we saved our country.” In a separate Fox News interview, Trump said Mamdani should seek a “fresh relationship with Washington,” cautioning that the mayor risked losing federal support if he failed to cooperate.
Mamdani’s historic win, coupled with Democratic successes in Virginia, New Jersey, and California, signaled a shift in political momentum ahead of next year’s midterm elections. The New York mayor, who faced attacks on his Muslim heritage and progressive platform, responded defiantly to Trump’s comments.
“Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up!” Mamdani declared to cheering supporters. “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. This is not only how we stop Trump—it’s how we stop the next one.”
