Trump says Mamdani's NYC mayoral win 'not expected'
U.S. President Donald Trump described Democrat Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York City’s mayoral race as surprising and unfavorable for his party, calling it an unexpected outcome that might not benefit anyone politically.
“Last night, it was not expected,” Trump told Republican senators during a breakfast meeting. “I don’t think it was good for Republicans ... I’m not sure it was good for anybody. But we had an interesting evening, and we learned a lot.”
Trump has often criticized Mamdani, labeling him a communist and warning that federal support for New York could be reviewed if he won. Mamdani, 34, triumphed over independent candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo as well as Republican Curtis Sliwa, making history as the first Muslim and South Asian to be elected mayor of the city.
Identifying as a democratic socialist, Mamdani campaigned on affordability and expanded public services, including free bus rides, city-run grocery stores, universal childcare, rent-stabilized housing, and higher minimum wages.
Speaking later at the America Business Forum in Miami, Trump remarked that while his own election the previous year had helped restore U.S. sovereignty, Mamdani’s win represented a step backward.
“We lost a little bit of sovereignty last night in New York, but we’ll take care of it,” he said.
Author’s Summary
President Trump criticized Zohran Mamdani’s unexpected NYC mayoral victory as politically harmful, warning it marked a symbolic loss of U.S. sovereignty.