'We'll Help Them, Maybe': Donald Trump Softens Stance On NYC After Zohran Mamdani's Mayoral Win

Last Updated:November 06, 2025, 07:06 IST

A day after Zohran Mamdani’s sweeping New York City mayoral win, Donald Trump tempered his earlier threats to cut federal aid, saying he would “help them a little bit, maybe.”

A file photo of Donald Trump (AP)

A day after Zohran Mamdani’s decisive victory in the New York City mayoral race, US President Donald Trump struck a mix of defiance and restraint during his speech at the America Business Forum in Miami on Wednesday, blasting the incoming mayor as a “communist," yet signalling he may not entirely withhold federal support to the city.

“The communist, Marxist socialists and globalists had their chance, and they delivered nothing but disaster," Trump, who had previously vowed to slash funding to New York if Mamdani were elected, said.

“And now let’s see how a communist does in New York. We’re going to see how that works out. And we’ll help them. We’ll help them. We want New York to be successful. We’ll help them a little bit, maybe," he added.

The President’s remarks marked a notable shift from his earlier threats, even as he continued to paint Mamdani’s victory as part of a larger ideological struggle within the Democratic Party.

“If you want to see what Congressional Democrats wish to do to America, just look at the results of yesterday’s election in New York," Trump said.

“Their party installed a communist as the mayor of the largest city in the nation. Remember, I used to say we’ll never have a socialist elected to any post in our country? Well, we skipped the socialists, we put in the communists instead," the US President said.

Trump also used the moment to frame the political divide ahead of next year’s elections as a stark national choice.

“The decision facing all Americans could not be clearer, we have a choice between communism and common sense," he said, adding that the contest was between an “economic nightmare" and an “economic miracle."

At another point in his Miami address, Trump warned that the United States had “lost sovereignty" after New Yorkers chose Mamdani, predicting that Miami would soon become a refuge for those “fleeing communism in New York."

The event doubled as a celebration of the first anniversary of Trump’s re-election, which he described as a triumph for American values.

“We rescued our economy, regained our liberty, and together we saved our country on that magnificent night 365 days ago," he told supporters.

Mamdani’s mayoral race win came despite fierce attacks on his policies and Muslim heritage from business elites, conservative media commentators and Trump himself.

Mamdani’s win, as well as the Democratic Party’s other victories in the governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, suggested a shift in political mood as the country looks toward next year’s midterm elections, when control of Congress will be up for grabs.

WHEN TRUMP THREATENED TO HOLD BACK FUNDS TO NYC

On Monday, Donald Trump endorsed former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for mayor of New York City and threatened to hold back federal funds to the city if Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral election.

Trump, a Republican who has offered frequent commentary on the New York mayoral election, injected himself further into the race by crossing party lines to support Cuomo over Mamdani and the Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa, who trailed badly in public opinion polls in the heavily Democratic city.

Cuomo, a longtime stalwart in the Democratic Party, was running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary.

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News world 'We'll Help Them, Maybe': Donald Trump Softens Stance On NYC After Zohran Mamdani's Mayoral Win

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