New York: Former US President Donald Trump has unleashed a barrage of inflammatory attacks against Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, targeting his background, political views, and religious identity. The 33-year-old progressive, who recently defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a surprise primary upset, has become a central figure in Republican rhetoric ahead of the upcoming general elections, reported the Newyork Times.
Mamdani, a Ugandan-born Indian American who immigrated to the United States at the age of seven and became a naturalised citizen after college, would be the first Muslim and Indian American mayor of New York City if elected. His rise has stirred political turbulence, with Trump now positioning him as a primary political rival.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards. I’ll save New York City, and make it ‘Hot’ and ‘Great’ again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!”
Trump further escalated his rhetoric during a visit to a migrant detention centre in Florida, stating that Mamdani could be arrested if he blocks federal immigration enforcement. He also amplified a false claim that Mamdani may be in the country illegally, despite records confirming his US citizenship.
Republicans have seized Mamdani’s progressive stances—such as supporting rent freezes, free public transit, and increased taxes on affluent neighborhoods—as evidence of radicalism. His past social media posts criticising the NYPD and calling for prison abolition, as well as his outspoken support for Palestinian rights, have also come under heavy fire. He has referred to Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and declined to disavow slogans like “globalize the intifada,” which some critics allege incite violence.
This criticism has intensified along xenophobic and Islamophobic lines. GOP figures have labelled him a “communist,” “antisemite,” and “threat to American values.” Rep. Randy Fine (Florida) claimed Mamdani would replace civics education with Sharia law, while Rep. Brandon Gill (Texas) mocked a video of Mamdani eating with his hands, calling it uncivilised. Rep. Andy Ogles (Tennessee) went further, referring to him as “little muhammad” and calling for a federal probe into revoking his citizenship.
Despite these attacks, Mamdani has stood firm. Addressing the media on Wednesday, he said, “Donald Trump said that I should be arrested. He said that I should be deported. He said that I should be denaturalised. And he said those things about me … because he wants to distract from what I fight for.”
He continued, “This is the same president who ran on promises of affordable groceries and cost-of-living relief. But now, instead of fulfilling those promises, he chooses to divide the nation and demonise those fighting for working-class Americans.”
Within the Democratic Party, Mamdani’s victory has sparked both celebration and concern. Progressives have lauded his win as a sign of a shifting political tide, aligning him with figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In contrast, centrist Democrats worry his policies may alienate moderate voters.
With elections nearing, Mamdani is poised to remain a lightning rod in national discourse—both as a symbol of America’s diversifying political landscape and as a target for the far-right’s culture war.
