President Donald Trump launched a dual-pronged attack on New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani hours before polls opened Tuesday, November 4, 2025, endorsing independent candidate Andrew Cuomo while threatening to slash federal funding to the city if the Democratic nominee wins.
In a Truth Social post Monday evening, Trump urged New Yorkers to vote for Cuomo despite his reluctant tone. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job,” Trump wrote. The endorsement came after the president called Mamdani a communist during a CBS “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday, November 2, 2025.
The president’s funding threat was explicit and severe. Trump indicated he would limit federal contributions to New York City to the bare minimum required by law if Mamdani won, writing that the city has zero chance of success or survival under what he described as communist leadership. He characterized a Mamdani victory as a complete and total economic and social disaster for the city.
Trump notably declined to endorse his own party’s candidate, stating that a vote for Sliwa would effectively be a vote for Mamdani.
The 34-year-old state assemblyman, who won the election and became the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest in over a century, rejected Trump’s communist label. Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist, not a communist, and has jokingly compared himself to a Scandinavian politician during previous interviews. His campaign has focused on rent freezes, free universal childcare, and lower public transit costs.
Mamdani responded forcefully to the president’s threats Tuesday morning. “I will not be intimidated by this president. I will not be intimidated by anyone, because my job here is to serve the people of the city,” he said, adding that he would address Trump’s threats as the words of a president but not necessarily the law of the land.
The constitutional reality behind Trump’s threat is complex. Under federal law, Congress holds the power to allocate funds to states and cities, not the president. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress authority to collect taxes and determine spending on national requirements. The 1974 Impoundment Control Act, passed after President Richard Nixon attempted to withhold congressionally approved funds, limits presidential discretion by allowing the president to withhold funds for only 45 days before requiring congressional approval.
New York City received $7.4 billion in federal funding for fiscal year 2026, accounting for 6.4 percent of total city spending. The funds primarily support housing and social services agencies, with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families representing the largest non-pandemic federal allocation. The Trump administration has already attempted to cut $12 million in funding to the city under outgoing Mayor Eric Adams.
During the Sunday “60 Minutes” interview, Trump made additional controversial comments about the race. When CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell asked about comparisons between Mamdani and Trump as charismatic rule-breakers, the president pivoted to personal attacks unrelated to policy. He suggested that Mamdani would perform worse than former Mayor Bill de Blasio, whom Trump characterized as having been a terrible mayor.
Trump also made inflammatory remarks about Jewish voters, calling any Jewish person voting for Mamdani stupid. The president framed his Cuomo endorsement as choosing between a bad Democrat and what he called a communist, indicating he would pick the bad Democrat every time.
Cuomo, who served as New York governor from 2011 to 2021 before resigning amid sexual harassment allegations, downplayed Trump’s support. He characterized the president’s statement as opposing Mamdani rather than genuinely endorsing him. The independent candidate initially ran in the Democratic primary but lost to Mamdani, who secured 56.39 percent of the votes compared to Cuomo’s 43.61 percent.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that Trump has made his thoughts on the mayoral election quite clear, noting the president’s love for New York as a native New Yorker. Leavitt dismissed Mamdani’s concerns about voter intimidation as based on zero evidence.
Mamdani framed the race as offering an alternative to Trump’s presidency rather than mirroring it at the local level. He emphasized creating a city government that believes in the dignity of everyone who calls New York home, contrasting his vision with what he described as Trump’s preferred candidate in Cuomo.
Congress remains Republican-controlled, with 53 Senate seats and 220 House seats, which could theoretically provide Trump leverage in any funding dispute. However, constitutional scholars note that unilateral presidential action to withhold appropriated funds would constitute an unconstitutional act of impoundment.
