Cut out the middle man: Zohran Mamdani dares Trump to a televised debate

New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani has thrown down the gauntlet to US President Donald Trump, challenging him to a televised debate. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist who won the June primary against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, accused the White House of attempting to meddle in the city’s heated mayoral contest.

In an interview with the New York Post, Mamdani said, "Let’s cut out the middle man. Why should I debate Donald Trump’s puppet when I could debate Donald Trump himself?"

The challenge came shortly after Cuomo publicly called on Mamdani to participate in five debates. Cuomo, aiming to boost his own visibility, said that the debates would be held across each borough in New York City during a press conference on Thursday.

TRUMP’S INTERFERENCE IN MAYORAL RACE

Mamdani claimed that Trump had attempted to intervene in the race, referring to telephonic conversations that reportedly took place between the two men about the mayoral contest.

According to the New York Post, White House officials had discussed potential job offers for Mayor Eric Adams and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in an effort to persuade them to exit the race. This move could have given Cuomo, the highest-polling candidate after Mamdani, a strategic advantage in the November election.

"If Donald Trump is serious about intervening in the mayoral race, he should come to New York City and debate me directly about why he’s cutting SNAP benefits for hungry New Yorkers to give tax breaks to his wealthy donors," Mamdani said. The socialist candidate framed the debate as a test of Trump’s policies and their impact on local communities.

President Trump fired back, stating that he would like to see two candidates leave the race to improve the chances of defeating Mamdani, whom he referred to as a "communist mayor" in a statement from the White House.

When asked whether he was directly encouraging any candidate to end their campaign, Trump declined to confirm, instead stressing that Mamdani’s opponents should unite behind a single contender.

CUOMO CHALLENGES MAMDANI TO FIVE DEBATES

Earlier on Thursday, Cuomo criticised Mamdani for rejecting debate opportunities promoted by local media outlets PIX11 and CBS News. "New Yorkers deserve answers. I challenge him to five debates, one in every borough where we speak about the issues in that borough," Cuomo said during his press briefing.

However, Cuomo declined to comment on whether he would participate in debates featuring only Adams and Sliwa. "You know my position, and you know Eric Adams’ position, and you know Curtis Sliwa’s position," he told PIX11 reporters, sidestepping questions about a three-way debate.

- Ends