President Donald Trump suggested he would order authorities to arrest New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani if he doesn’t allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate in the city as mayor.
Mamdani, as the Democratic nominee, is likely to win the general election in the heavily blue city, with his main competition being an unpopular incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
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In response to a question asking for the president’s answer to a statement from Mamdani saying he would not let ICE agents deport residents of the city, he said, “Well then, we’ll have to arrest him.”
“We don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump continued.
“We send him money,” he added. “We send him all the things that he needs to run a government.”
Republicans, including Trump, have condemned Mamdani’s candidacy. Most have cited his socialist plans and past statements, such as his refusal to condemn the “globalize the intifada” phrase associated with violence against Jewish people, as reasons for why he is unfit to be the city’s mayor.
Trump does not have the power to arrest Mamdani outright, though he could order an investigation into him. Cities are not required to assist with federal immigration law, but actively obstructing it could earn Mamdani federal charges.
Mamdani previously said he would use his power as mayor to “stop masked ICE agents from deporting our neighbors.”
The 33-year-old has also promised to freeze rent, make buses and child care free, and create government-run grocery stores.
He shocked former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral Democratic primary, beating him 56% to 44% in the final round of ranked choice voting. Cuomo was widely considered the front-runner before Mamdani declared victory following the first-round results last week.
Following his victory, Trump quickly condemned him as a communist. More recently, he’s threatened to pull federal funding from New York City if Mamdani doesn’t “do the right thing” as mayor.
“The people of New York are crazy,” Trump said. “If they go this route, I think they’re crazy. We will have a communist — for the first time, really, a pure, true communist. He wants to operate the grocery stores, the department stores. What about the people who are there? I think it’s crazy.”
Mamdani stirred up even more controversy lately by saying he doesn’t believe there should be any billionaires.
“I don’t think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality,” Mamdani said in a Meet the Press interview.
Cuomo is considering running in the general election on an independent ballot line. A recent statement from his campaign, shared with the Washington Examiner, reacting to the final results of the primary, suggests they believe the general election is more representative of people in New York City.
“Extremism, division, and empty promises are not the answer to this city’s problems, and while this was a look at what motivates a slice of our primary electorate, it does not represent the majority,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said. “The financial instability of our families is the priority here, which is why actionable solutions, results, and outcomes matter so much.”
“We’ll be continuing conversations with people from all across the city while determining next steps,” he added.
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Mamdani said he was “humbled” by the over half a million New Yorkers who voted for him.
“This is just the beginning of our expanding coalition to make New York City affordable. And we will do it together,” he said.