Mamdani also shared a video on Tuesday, describing how his campaign that was unrelentingly centered on the concerns of working people “shocked the establishment and redrew the political map.”
Washington D.C. – US President Donald Trump threatened to have the Democrat arrested if he prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from carrying out its duties in the nation’s most populated city, but Zohran Mamdani, a mayoral candidate of Indian descent from New York, refused to be “intimidated” by the Republican. Mamdani, the rising star of American socialism, formally entered the November general election as the Democratic contender for mayor of New York City on Tuesday.
Trump vehemently condemned Mamdani once he was officially confirmed as the Democratic candidate, calling him a communist and a madman and demanding his imprisonment. In addition, the President questioned whether Mamdani’s citizenship—who arrived in the US in 1998 at the age of seven—was lawful.
Response from Zohran Mamdani
In response to Trump’s threats, Mamdani said in a statement on Tuesday that he “will not accept this intimidation” from the president.
“The US president just threatened to detain me, deprive me of my citizenship, place me in a detention facility, and deport me. “I will not allow ICE to terrorize our city, not because I have broken any laws,” Mamdani stated.
“His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadow: if you speak up, they will come for you.”
Trump’s praise of Eric Adams, the current mayor of New York, “in his authoritarian threats” was also criticized by the Democrat. Adams, who is running as an independent but was elected as a Democrat in 2021, said that Trump’s admiration for him is not surprising, “but highlights the urgency of bringing an end to this Mayor’s time in City Hall.”
Eric Adams’ scandal reflects the division, distraction, and hatred of this President at a time when MAGA (make America great again) Republicans are trying to dismantle the social safety net, deny healthcare to millions of New Yorkers, and enrich their billionaire donors at the expense of working families. In November, voters will overwhelmingly reject it,” he said.
For the November ballot, polls currently place him ahead of Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams. According to Mamdani and others, the mayor buried federal corruption allegations against Adams in exchange for permitting the Trump administration to carry out immigration raids.
In addition, Mamdani, a 33-year-old social media whiz whose campaign videos demonstrated his reach and garnered millions of views, shared a video on Tuesday detailing how he “shocked the establishment and redrew the political map with a campaign relentlessly focused on the needs of working people.”
He pointed out that Trump garnered unexpectedly high support in New York City during the 2024 election and described how he was able to win over disenchanted people to the Democratic Party by constantly campaigning in neighborhoods with working-class, immigrant, and minority populations.
“We can win back voters many have written off if we give them something to vote for, not just tell them what to be against,” Mamdani stated.
“We shattered everyone’s expectations — including our own.”
Trump’s remarks
Trump declared on Tuesday that the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City is a “total nut job” and a “pure, true communist.” He also stated that if elected, he will “have a lot of fun with him.”
“Then we’ll only need to take him into custody. Look, this country doesn’t need a communist, but if it does, I will be closely monitoring him on behalf of the country. By the way, they already receive almost three times as much as you do. We provide him money and everything he needs to operate a government. During an immigration discussion at the New Florida Detention Facility, Trump stated, “If you look at it per capita, Florida gets one-third of what New York gets.”
Many individuals claim that Mamdani is not authorized to be here. We will review everything, as you are aware. He is currently a communist, but hopefully he will become much less of one in the future. He went on, “That’s not a socialist.”
Controversy Regarding Mamdani’s Citizenship
If he wins the main election in November, Mamdani, a state assemblyman from New York, who was born in Uganda to South Asian parents, will become the city’s first Muslim mayor. Given that Mamdani only obtained US citizenship in 2018, a number of Republicans are advocating for his citizenship to be revoked.
