US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States had “lost a bit of its sovereignty” after Democrat socialist Zohran Mamdani’s landmark victory in the New York City mayoral race. Speaking at the America Business Forum in Miami, Trump described Mamdani as a “communist,” warning that his leadership could turn New York into “another Cuba or Venezuela” and drive residents to relocate to Florida.
Trump said, “On November 5, 2024, the American people reclaimed our government and our sovereignty. But last night, in New York, we lost a small part of that — and we’ll fix it.”
Mamdani, 34, made history with his win at Gracie Mansion, campaigning on a platform to expand government-funded programs and increase taxes on the wealthy. Trump argued that Mamdani’s policies reflect the broader direction of the Democratic Party across the country.
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He warned, “If you want to see what congressional Democrats wish to do to America, just look at the result of yesterday’s election in New York, where their party installed a communist as the mayor of the largest city in the nation.”
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Trump added, “As I’ve warned for many years, our opponents are hell-bent on turning America into a communist Cuba, a socialist Venezuela, and you see what happened to those places.” He cautioned that extreme Democratic policies could push New Yorkers toward Florida. “Now the Democrats are so extreme that Miami will soon be the refuge for those fleeing communism in New York City. They flee… Where do you live? New York City, but I’m trying to leave because I don’t want to live in a communist regime.”
Taking aim at the city’s former Democratic mayor, Bill De Blasio, Trump said, “When I left New York for the White House, it was good except we had the telltale signs of trouble because we had a guy named De Blasio… He goes down as probably the worst mayor in history.”
Commenting on Mamdani’s victory speech, Trump called it a “very angry” address and said the mayor-elect is off to a bad start. “Yeah, I thought it was a very angry speech, certainly angry toward me, and I think he should be very nice to me. You know, I’m the one who sort of has to approve a lot of things coming to him. So he’s off to a bad start.”
Responding to Trump, Mamdani addressed the city and his policies, stating that New York will be led by immigrants and marking the toppling of a “political dynasty.” “After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power,” he said.
He added, “This is not only how we stop Trump; it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.”
Mamdani also vowed action against exploitative landlords and corruption, saying, “We will hold bad landlords to account because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants. We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks.”
(With inputs of ANI).
