The President of the United States, Donald Trump, surprised on Wednesday with an ambiguous comment about the newly elected mayor of New York, the Democrat Zohran Mamdani, whom he labeled as "communist" but stated he would be willing to "help a little."
"The communists, Marxists, socialists, and globalists had their opportunity and delivered nothing but disaster," Trump declared in Miami.
"And now let's see how a communist operates in New York. Let's see how it works, and we will help them, we will help them. We want New York to succeed… we will help them a little, maybe," he added.
The statement sets a much more moderate tone regarding the threats that Trump himself made just days before the elections when he claimed that he would withhold federal funds from the city if Mamdani came to power.
During the campaign, the president did not hold back on attacks against Mamdani, whom he repeatedly referred to as "the communist candidate" and accused of wanting to turn the city "into another Caracas or Havana."
On his platform Truth Social, he warned: "If the communist candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral election, it is very unlikely that he will contribute federal funds, beyond the minimum required, to my beloved first home."
The federal government allocates about $7.4 billion each year to the city, equivalent to 6.4% of its total budget, a figure that Trump questioned maintaining if the Mamdani administration strayed "from the American path."
A historical and controversial mayor
At just 34 years old, Mamdani became the first Muslim and South Asian mayor in New York's history, as well as the youngest to hold the position since 1892.
Her victory—achieved with over 50% of the votes—marks a political and cultural milestone in a city defined by its diversity, but also by its deep social inequalities.
Identified with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and close to figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, he defeated independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa with a campaign that was openly anti-capitalist, focused on proposals such as free public transportation, affordable housing, and price controls on essential goods.
"New York is not for sale," Mamdani proclaimed in his victory speech, surrounded by hundreds of supporters in Queens.
Her campaign—translated into several languages, such as Spanish and Urdu—appealed to immigrant communities, precarious youth, and employees in public transportation and housing, sectors where she garnered her strongest support.
An outsider with global roots
Zohran Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, an expert in postcolonial studies.
His family emigrated to New York when he was seven years old. A graduate of Bowdoin College in African Studies, he transitioned from a student activist to a member of the New York State Assembly, where he advocated for housing and public transportation policies.
His style is not traditional: he speaks of social justice using an inclusive and culturally diverse language, incorporates references to Bollywood cinema in his campaigns, and has made his Muslim faith a central part of his public identity, visiting mosques and religious communities.
His election has been interpreted by analysts as a reflection of the rise of urban progressivism in the United States and a sign that younger voters are seeking alternatives to the political establishment.
However, it has also raised alarms among moderate Democrats and businesspeople, who fear a radical ideological shift in the management of the country's largest city.
On Wednesday, in his first public appearance following the local and state elections this week, which resulted in a debacle for the Republican Party, Trump stated that "Miami will be a refuge for those "escaping the communist regime of New York."
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 the opportunity during 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 evidence of that radical shift.
"Now the Democrats are so extreme 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 stated.
"They elected a Communist. The Democrats installed a Communist as mayor. They want to turn the United States into communist Cuba or socialist Venezuela," he assured.
"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 heavy with 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 approved, would represent an erosion of the foundational values of the country.
"I have been warning for many years that our opponents are intent on turning the United States into a communist Cuba and a socialist Venezuela. Do you see what happened in those places? For generations, Miami has been a refuge for those fleeing communist tyranny," he added.
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