President Donald Trump said Friday that Democrat Zohran Mamdani is likely to win the New York City mayoral election, calling the candidate "my little Communist" and predicting he will have to "come to Washington for money, a lot of money."
Trump made the remarks as the mayoral contest remains a crowded four-way race that also features incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, Republican Curtis Sliwa and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent. The president said he viewed Cuomo as the strongest alternative to Mamdani but added that opposition efforts to consolidate anti-socialist voters behind a single candidate had not worked.
"I call him my little Communist. He's my little Communist mayor," Trump said. He added: "But, you know, he has to come to Washington for money, a lot of money." The president also said that while Cuomo appeared to be "strongest against Mamdani," the field had not consolidated and "it almost looks like even one candidate wouldn't work at this point."
Trump's comments came after attempts by some of his allies to direct anti-socialist and anti-Mamdani voters toward a single alternative in an effort to blunt the Democratic candidate's support. Those efforts, according to the president's assessment, did not coalesce into a successful single opposition candidacy.
Mamdani, a Democrat, has positioned himself as a progressive candidate in the crowded race for New York City's top elected post. The mayoral contest has drawn national attention as a test of political dynamics in large U.S. cities, where debates over crime, housing and city services have shaped voter preferences. The entry of Cuomo, a former two-term governor of New York, as an independent has added complexity to voter calculations and to efforts by opponents to form a unified alternative.
The four-way field has posed strategic challenges for voters and political operatives seeking to block a candidate they view as ideologically extreme. Trump framed his remarks in political terms, focusing on how the race might unfold and how candidates could seek federal assistance if elected. He did not offer an endorsement of any candidate in his comments reported Friday.
New York City's general election calendar and candidates' campaign plans continue to evolve as the race moves forward. With the field split and prominent figures competing, the mayoral contest remains a closely watched contest with implications for local governance and national political narratives.