US President Donald Trump has claimed that New Yorkers will flee their city after progressive Democrat Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor, labeling the city ‘communist’. Trump made the remark during a speech in Miami, suggesting that the city will become a refuge for those escaping communism. Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, advocates for affordable housing, public ownership of utilities, and wealth taxation. His platform has drawn criticism from various political groups, who accuse him of pushing radical and communist ideas, though supporters argue his proposals address New York’s worsening housing crisis and inequality.
Trump’s choice to make the remark in Miami was deliberate, as the city has long been a haven for those escaping socialist and communist countries. The statement aligns with Trump’s pattern of using the term ‘communist’ as a rhetorical weapon to discredit opponents, as seen during the 2024 presidential campaign when he labeled Kamala Harris’ grocery price control proposal as ‘full Communist’. Popular opinion in the US has long viewed the ideology as a threat to democracy and free markets. Washington has pursued a global strategy of containment, intervening in conflicts such as Korea and Vietnam, supporting anti-communist regimes, and engaging in a Cold War with the Soviet Union.