American politics stands at a very sensitive juncture, where Donald Trump has heated up the political atmosphere with his sharp statements amidst the turmoil of New York City’s mayoral election.
Former US President Donald Trump has warned New York City voters that if leftist candidate Zohra Mamdani wins the election, he will virtually cut off federal funding for the city. Trump made this comment on Monday through a long post on his social media platform Truth Social. He described Mamdani as a “communist” and said his policies could lead to “economic and social destruction.”
Trump said that if Mamdani became mayor, he would provide only the minimum necessary funds because “there is no point wasting good money.” He said that Mamdani’s ideology is based on “thousands of years of failures”. Trump even suggested that Republican voters should not risk Mamdani’s victory by voting for Curtis Saliwa, but instead support Andrew Cuomo, whether they personally like him or not.
Let us tell you that making federal funding an election issue is not a new step for Trump. According to available information, even before this there has been a sharp tension between the White House and New York on projects related to flood relief and infrastructure. Recently $18 billion in aid was frozen, and a judge ruled blocking $34 million of counterterrorism funding was illegal.
On the other hand, Zohra Mamdani reacted sharply to Trump’s statement, saying that it has been “nakedly revealed” that Trump and mega supporters are supporting Cuomo because he is better for the administration and not for the residents of New York. Cuomo, who has gradually reduced Mamdani’s lead, gave a strong clarification on Trump’s indirect support and said, “He has not supported me.”
It is noteworthy that in the latest survey, Mamdani is leading with 41% support, while Andrew Cuomo remains at 34% and Curtis Saliwa at 24%. Mamdani is emphasizing on the issue of affordability, while Saliwa is keeping law and order as his main issue.
In this electoral conflict, Trump’s statement has not only intensified the debate, but has also brought the issue of federal funding to the center stage. Now it remains to be seen to what extent this rhetoric affects the election results, because voting is going to take place in a few hours and the atmosphere is already heated.