Trump calls New York Mayor-elect Mamdani a "Communist" during business forum

MIAMI: U.S. President Donald Trump turned his attention to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday (November 5), calling him a "Communist" during a business forum in Miami, Florida.

AI Brief

Trump criticised Mamdani, calling him a communist and warning his leadership could harm New Yorks future.
Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo, with both candidates facing scrutiny over past controversies and political stances.
Concerns over Mamdani's ideology and influence continue, especially given his progressive platform and past remarks.

Trump was headlining the America Business Forum, giving a wide-ranging speech, when he issued a warning about Mamdani. "You watch what happens in New York. Terrible. But you're going to see that same thing. I hope it doesn't happen, but you're going to see it," he said.

His criticism continued as the speech went on: "Remember I said 'We will never have a socialist elected to any post in our country.' I used to say that, and I was right. We skipped Socialist and put in a Communist instead. That didn't work out too well. But, as I've warned for many years, our opponents are hell-bent on turning America into a Communist Cuba or Socialist Venezuela. You see what happened to those places," Trump said.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old, fresh-faced state lawmaker, beat Andrew Cuomo, the state's former Democratic governor, who ran as an independent. The election pitted Mamdani's progressive stances against Cuomo, 67, and his more establishment views, as he tried to make the case for his qualifications over Mamdani's newfound influence.

Both candidates carried political baggage. Mamdani has faced scrutiny for identifying as a democratic socialist and for past remarks on Israel and the New York Police Department, while Cuomo’s 2021 resignation over sexual harassment allegations clouded his potential return.