A day before New York City’s mayoral election, tensions flared between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani.
The Washington Post described the race for New York’s mayoralty as “the most controversial in the city’s modern history.”
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The contenders for the mayor’s office include Democrat Zohran Mamdani, Independent Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, with the final round scheduled for Tuesday.
The newspaper called Trump and Mamdani “archrivals”, noting that the two “cannot stop talking about each other” and seem to benefit from their mutual attacks.
Trump described Mamdani as “terrible,” “notorious,” and “completely insane,” even hinting at the possibility of his arrest.
He warned that as New York City mayor, Mamdani would face unprecedented problems with Washington, unlike any previous mayor in the city’s history.
Trump also threatened to withhold federal funding from the city, calling Mamdani’s promises “fake communism.”
He went on to label him “Communist Mamdani” and “one of the best things that ever happened to our great Republican Party.”
For his part, Mamdani vowed to confront Trump at every step, saying that “most people treat Trump’s statements as if they were law.”
According to The Washington Post, both rivals are gaining from the feud — Trump seeks to portray Mamdani as the face of extreme opposition, while Mamdani’s defiance has helped unify Democrats against a common adversary ahead of Tuesday’s election.
Members of Trump’s administration reportedly tried to persuade incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa to withdraw from the race in exchange for positions in the administration, to narrow the contest to Mamdani and Cuomo — a claim Trump denied.
Despite their differences, the two share certain parallels: both are New Yorkers, both launched insurgent campaigns, and both have embraced controversial, anti-establishment positions that energized their bases while angering party elites.
They have also focused on reducing living costs, are skilled communicators, and adept at using social media to amplify their messages.
Supporters of both figures describe them as “rare and authentic voices in a political landscape filled with prepackaged slogans.”
Polls show Mamdani leading the race, followed by Cuomo in second place, and Sliwa in third.
The newspaper described Mamdani, a progressive Muslim, as “the left’s mirror image of Trump.”
It predicted that the clash between Trump and Mamdani is likely to continue for the remainder of Trump’s second term, should Mamdani win the election.
