At a Miami event, Donald Trump mocked New York’s new mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him a ‘communist’ and jokingly dancing to YMCA. He accused Democrats of turning America towards socialism and also mispronounced Mamdani’s name.
US President Donald Trump mocked the recent election victory of Indian-origin politician Zohran Mamdani, who became New York City’s first Muslim mayor, during his speech at the America Business Forum in Miami on Wednesday. Speaking to a cheering audience, Trump recalled his own election win for a second term last year on November 5, saying that Americans had ‘restored’ their sovereignty through his victory. However, he used the opportunity to attack Mamdani’s historic win, claiming that voters in New York had ‘lost a little bit’ of that sovereignty in Tuesday’s election. “But we will take care of it. Don’t worry about it,” Trump said. “You watch what happens in New York – terrible… I hope it doesn’t happen, but you’re going to see it.”
Trump calls Mamdani ‘a communist’
The US President went on to mock Mamdani by mispronouncing his name. “…and Mandami, whatever the hell his name is in New York… thinks it’s wonderful to have men playing in women’s sports,” Trump said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
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After his remarks, he broke into his signature dance to the tune of “YMCA” by the American disco group Village People — a dance that became popular during his 2020 campaign rallies. Trump then resumed his criticism, describing Mamdani as a “communist” and warning that the New York mayoral result was a sign of what Democrats wanted for the entire country. “If you want to see what Congressional Democrats wish to do to America, just look at the result of yesterday’s election in New York, where their party installed a communist as the mayor of the largest city in the nation,” he said.
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Attack on Democrats
Continuing his fiery remarks, Trump accused Democrats of trying to turn the United States into a ‘communist Cuba or socialist Venezuela’. He warned, “You see what happened to those places.” Trump has often referred to left-leaning politicians as “socialists” or “communists” and has repeatedly attacked Mamdani in recent months, especially after the New York mayoral primaries in June.
During those primaries, Mamdani defeated former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, whom Trump had reluctantly supported as an independent candidate. “I was never a fan of the bad Democrat, but I thought he was better than what they picked,” Trump had said earlier.
Mamdani’s response to Trump
Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Indian-origin politician and self-described socialist, made history this week by becoming New York City’s first Muslim and first Indian-origin mayor. He received support from several progressive figures in the Democratic Party. According to The New York Times, Mamdani even spoke with former President Barack Obama in a 30-minute phone call before the election, during which Obama praised his campaign. Mamdani, who has often criticised Trump, mentioned him directly in his victory speech on Tuesday night. “So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up,” he said, drawing cheers from supporters.
A new political face in New York
Zohran Mamdani’s victory marks a major moment in American politics, making him the first Muslim, first Indian-origin, and first African-born mayor of New York City. His campaign focused on social justice, affordable housing and economic equality, earning him strong backing from progressive voters. While Trump’s criticism added to the political drama, Mamdani’s supporters described his win as a sign of New York’s growing diversity and progressive shift.
(With inputs from agencies)