Trump lashes out at his new favorite ‘radical left lunatic’
Those who oppose President Donald Trump often find themselves in his crosshairs—and Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist who just shocked the political world in his run to be New York City’s mayor, is no exception.
On Sunday, during an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” Trump once again criticized Mamdani, who recently defeated disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. The victory positioned Mamdani as a potential first Muslim mayor of the nation’s largest city.
“He’s a communist. I think it’s very bad for New York,” Trump said. “But let’s say this: If he does get in, I’m going to be president, and he’s going to have to do the right thing, or they’re not getting any money.”
Trump didn’t stop there—he expanded the threat to all mayoral hopefuls in New York City.
“Whoever’s mayor of New York is going to have to behave themselves, or the federal government is coming down very tough on them financially,” he added.
This isn’t new territory. Trump has a long history of threatening to withhold federal funds from officials he dislikes, especially in blue states. He’s previously targeted California over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s policies on transgender athletes, among other issues.
Mamdani is Trump’s latest obsession—and it’s easy to see why. The assemblyman ran on a working-class, anti-corporate platform and scored a major upset, winning 43.5% of the vote to Cuomo’s 36.4%. After the polls closed, Trump lashed out on Truth Social.
“It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line,” he posted on Wednesday. “We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous. He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart. … Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!”
On Fox, he doubled down, branding Mamdani a “radical left lunatic”—a favorite insult he uses for political opponents.
But unlike many Republicans who cave under Trump’s pressure like North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, Mamdani didn’t back down. Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” the same day, he hit back—hard.
“I have already started to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from, who I am—ultimately, because he wants to distract from what I’m fighting for,” Mamdani said.
He also pushed back on Trump’s “communist” label, calling himself a democratic socialist inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“When we talk about my politics, I call myself a democratic socialist, in many ways, inspired by the words of Dr. King from decades ago, who said: ‘Call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism. There has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God’s children in this country,’” he added.
He went further, arguing that billionaires shouldn’t exist at all.
“I don’t think that we should have billionaires,” Mamdani said, “because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality. … And I look forward to working with everyone, including billionaires, to make a city that is fair for all of them.”
That message has sparked both excitement and unease. While progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed him, many moderate Democrats have hesitated. Gov. Kathy Hochul offered a chilly reaction.
“There are areas of difference in our positions,” she said. “But I also think we need to have those conversations.”
Asked if moderate Democrats are afraid of him, Mamdani replied: “I think that people are catching up to this election. … What we’re showing is that by putting working people first, by returning to the roots of the Democratic Party, we actually have a way out of this moment where we’re facing authoritarianism in Washington, D.C.”
That statement says it all. Trump fears challengers who don’t flinch—and Mamdani isn’t backing down.