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In his first public appearance following this week's local and state elections, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that “Miami will be a sanctuary” for those “fleeing the communist regime of New York”, after the election of the democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as the new mayor of that city.
His statements were made during the America Business Forum (ABF), held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, an event that brought together political leaders, entrepreneurs, and celebrities from across the continent.
Trump took advantage of the forum to launch harsh criticisms against the Democratic Party, accusing it of leading the country down a dangerous path toward leftist authoritarianism.
Mamdani's victory in New York City, according to the president, would be proof of that radical shift.
"Now the Democrats are so extremist that Miami will soon become a refuge for those fleeing communism in New York. They are fleeing, fleeing. Where do you live? In New York, but I'm trying to leave because I don't want to live under a communist regime," Trump exclaimed to the audience.
Zohran Mamdani, born in Uganda, will be the first Muslim and the youngest mayor in over a century to govern the most populous city in the United States.
He identifies as a democratic socialist, which has been enough for Trump to label him directly as a "communist," without any nuance.
“They elected a communist. The Democrats installed a communist as mayor. They want to turn the United States into communist Cuba or socialist Venezuela,” asserted the president.
"The United States lost a bit of sovereignty."
Beyond his attacks on Mamdani, Trump portrayed the New York election as an existential threat to the American model.
"The United States lost a bit of sovereignty last night in New York," he declared, in a statement full of political symbolism.
For the president, the victory of Mamdani and other democrats in states like New Jersey, Virginia, and California, where the controversial Proposition 50 was passed, would represent an erosion of the foundational values of the country.
“I have warned for many years that our opponents are intent on turning the United States into communist Cuba and socialist Venezuela. Do you see what happened in those places? For generations, Miami has been a refuge for those fleeing communist tyranny,” he added.
Mamdani's election was particularly symbolic as it took place in a national context where ideological tensions are running high.
The new mayor won with 50.4% of the votes, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent (41.6%), and leaving the Republican Curtis Sliwa far behind (7.1%).
Communism or Common Sense: Trump's New Dilemma
One of the most striking phrases of the speech was how Trump presented the current political landscape:
“The choice is communism or common sense”, he summarized, in a phrase that has begun to circulate strongly among his followers and on social media.
Trump also took the opportunity to denounce that the left is causing economic and social chaos in the country, blaming the Democrats for the federal government shutdown -the longest in history- which began on October 1.
He stated that the opposition is "demanding medical care for illegal foreigners," including "drug traffickers" and individuals "who arrived in the country from prisons and mental institutions."
"The radical left, the Democrats, are causing millions of Americans who rely on food stamps to be left without benefits. They are forcing federal employees to go without their paychecks and leaving thousands of travelers stranded in airports," he denounced.
Trump's tone has resonated among certain segments of the electorate in Miami, particularly within the Cuban and Venezuelan communities, which have historically supported the Republican Party due to its strong stances against leftist authoritarian regimes in Latin America.
The parallel between Mamdani and dictators such as Fidel Castro or Nicolás Maduro was implicit but clear in the speech of the American president, who seeks to capitalize on the fear of a supposed socialist drift in the United States to strengthen his electoral base.
A reflection on defeat and promises for the future
Despite the combative tone, Trump acknowledged that the election results were a wake-up call for his party:
“The Republicans have learned a lot,” he noted, attributing the partial defeat to the government shutdown and to their absence from the ballots.
He also took the opportunity at the event to assess his second term, which has just completed its first year. He mentioned achievements such as economic growth, job creation, inflation control, energy independence, and his plans to promote Artificial Intelligence and cryptocurrencies.
The message is clear: Trump wants South Florida to be much more than a Republican stronghold; he wants to transform it into a symbol of resistance against what he calls "the tyranny of the radical left."
And he says it without hesitation: "Miami will be a refuge."
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