Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the mayoral frontrunner in New York City, led a defiant march across the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall on the eve of Election Day, rejecting President Donald Trump’s threats to withhold federal funds should he win. Joined by Attorney General Letitia James, Mamdani vowed to counter the Trump administration’s actions with legal action, emphasizing that the city is owed every dollar in federal funding and that he would ensure its collection. The march, held at sunrise, was a dramatic show of resistance against what Mamdani called ‘threats from Donald Trump, but also the threats from an affordability crisis that has put one in four New Yorkers in poverty.’
Trump, who has criticized Mamdani as a ‘communist’ since the Democratic primary, made his stance clear in a recent interview, stating that if Mamdani were elected, it would be ‘hard for me, as the president, to give a lot of money to New York.’ This followed Mamdani’s victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary, a win that has since drawn Trump’s ire. The president has labeled Mamdani a ‘100% Communist Lunatic’ and a ‘little communist,’ a label Mamdani has rejected, calling it a ‘moniker’ he does not accept.
Mamdani’s march was part of a broader campaign that has included a ‘Five Boroughs Against Trump’ tour across New York City. The campaign has included direct accusations that Trump is endorsing Cuomo, a claim that has drawn criticism from Cuomo’s campaign. ‘Late last night, Andrew Cuomo received Donald Trump’s endorsement,’ Mamdani claimed, arguing that such an endorsement would ‘force our city into darkness and make it impossible for working people to live lives of dignity.’
However, Cuomo’s campaign quickly denied the endorsement claims, with spokesperson Rich Azzopardi stating that Mamdani is ‘lying’ about the endorsement. ‘There’s only one candidate in this race who has a record of fighting for New York and battling the Trump administration when it was in New York’s best interest and winning, and that’s Andrew Cuomo,’ Azzopardi said. Cuomo, who has previous experience in going head-to-head with Trump during his first administration, faces an uphill battle against Mamdani, who has vowed to create an ‘alternative’ to the Trump administration in City Hall.
Judging by the public reactions and legal actions taken, it seems that Mamdani’s efforts to counter the Trump administration are gaining momentum. With the federal government’s stance on funding and his campaign’s focus on affordability and poverty, Mamdani is positioning himself as the candidate best equipped to challenge Trump in New York City. However, the political and financial implications of this stance are yet to be fully realized, but one thing is clear: the tension between Mamdani and Trump is reaching a high point as Election Day approaches.