Former President Donald Trump has said he would be reluctant to send federal funding to his hometown of New York if left-wing front-runner Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor of America's biggest city this week.
It's gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York, because if you have a Communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there, Trump stated in a television interview.
The Trump administration has repeatedly tried to cut federal grants and funding for projects primarily located in Democratic-run areas.
Opinion polls indicate Mamdani is ahead of his main rival, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on the eve of Tuesday's vote.
Mamdani would run a world financial hub and is a self-described democratic socialist who rejects accusations of being a communist, joking in one interview that he is kind of like a Scandinavian politician, only browner.
In a wide-ranging interview on CBS's 60 Minutes, Trump stated that a Mayor Mamdani would make former Mayor Bill de Blasio look great and effectively endorsed Cuomo, saying, I'm not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other, but if it's gonna be between a bad Democrat and a Communist, I'm gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you.
Mamdani previously won the Democratic primary, presenting himself as an alternative to what New Yorkers seek in leadership—an emphasis on dignity and respect for all residents.
This situation highlights the deepening divide within New York City politics, especially with the impending election and contentious debates over funding, leadership, and competing visions for New York's future.
