U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning on Sunday, threatening to cut off federal funding to New York City if progressive mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani “doesn’t behave” should he win the race, Rks News reports.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump labeled Mamdani a “pure communist” and stated that if elected, Mamdani would need to “do the right thing,” otherwise the city would receive no money from the federal government.
“If he gets in and I’m president, they’re not getting a dime unless he behaves properly,” Trump emphasized.
Zohran Mamdani, a self-identified democratic socialist, responded during an interview with NBC, firmly denying the communist label.
“No, I am not a communist,” he said, calling Trump’s remarks a distraction from the real issues of the campaign. Mamdani cited Martin Luther King Jr. as his inspiration and reaffirmed his commitment to fairer tax policies in New York City.
Mamdani’s platform includes raising taxes on the wealthy and shifting the tax burden away from low-income neighborhoods toward wealthier, predominantly white areas. He has also openly criticized Trump’s anti-immigration policies and controversially suggested the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York—drawing a sharp rebuke from Trump, who labeled him a “radical left lunatic” and predicted his campaign would fail.
Currently, New York City receives over $100 billion annually in federal funds through various programs and institutions—a lifeline that could now be under threat if Trump’s warning turns into policy.
