President Trump hits back after Zohran Mamdani, in his victory speech, declared New York would be the city that "defeats" the president.
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to New York City’s newly-elected socialist Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, stating that the incoming city leader is "having a very bad start" after Mamdani used his victory speech to launch a direct challenge against the White House.
In an interview with Fox News, President Trump confirmed he had watched Mamdani's fiery speech on Tuesday night.
"It was an angry speech, aimed right at me," President Trump said. "I think he should be nicer to me because I’m the one who has to approve many of the things New York is going to need. Frankly, he is not off to a good start."
Host Bret Baier replayed the now-viral clip from Mamdani’s victory stage in Brooklyn, where the mayor-elect declared:
"Donald Trump, I know you’re watching, so listen closely – to get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us."
President Trump dismissed the rhetoric as hollow and counter-productive.
"That’s a very dangerous statement," Trump responded. "He should have respect for Washington, or he will never succeed. Those words just lose him any chance of cooperation."
Mamdani’s surprise victory over established figures, former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, has stunned the national political establishment. A high-profile socialist, Mamdani ran on a platform that critics have labeled "extreme and dangerous." His key policies include:
Opening the city as a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.
Establishing a network of state-run supermarkets.
Ending police intervention in domestic violence incidents.
His campaign was a cause célèbre for left-wing Hollywood, championed by actors like Mark Ruffalo, George Takei, and Cynthia Nixon.
During his speech, Mamdani also goaded the president to "turn up the volume," claiming that "New York, the city that birthed Trump, will be the city that defeats him."
President Trump, however, asserted that Mamdani’s ideology is a threat to the city itself.
"Mamdani needs to understand that New York cannot run on left-wing slogans," Trump concluded. "He is choosing the path of confrontation, and that will never be good for the people."
Political analysts are already framing the immediate clash as the dominant political flashpoint for 2026. It sets the stage for a high-stakes battle between the Trump administration's federal "Law and Order" agenda and the growing wave of progressive-led state and city governments committed to resisting it from within.