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Progressive Jewish Group Hits Back After Trump Calls Jews Voting for Mamdani ‘Stupid’
"Trump and his allies claim to defend Jews, yet ignore antisemitism in their own ranks," Jamie Beran of Bend the Arc told Common Dreams.
Nov 04, 2025
President Donald Trump used one of his final messages before New York's mayoral election on Tuesday to insult the many Jewish supporters expected to turn out in favor of the Democratic nominee, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani.
“Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self-professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social just hours after polls opened.
It was one final attempt to smear the assemblyman, who pre-election polls showed leading comfortably, as antisemitic over his criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights, which has revealed stark divisions in opinion among American Jews, with New York being no exception.
Courting Trump's support—which he earned Monday along with that of Elon Musk and senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller—former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has leaned into the most vulgar of Islamophobic attacks against Mamdani over the home stretch of the campaign, referring to him as a "terrorist sympathizer" and suggesting he'd support a second 9/11.
But in the face of these attacks, Mamdani's support among Jewish voters has remained strong. In July, with the field still fractured, he outright led among Jewish voters. And though Cuomo has bolstered his Jewish support since the dropout of incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, polls have varied widely, with some showing Mamdani and Cuomo virtually tied among Jewish voters and others showing Cuomo with a commanding lead.
Mamdani has nevertheless managed to make tremendous inroads with Jewish leaders, most recently the influential Orthodox rabbi, Moshe Indig, who endorsed Mamdani at a meeting in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Sunday.
He had previously earned the support of the Brooklyn native Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), and local leaders, including a former mayoral contender for this cycle, Comptroller Brad Lander, and Ruth Messinger, a former Manhattan borough president and Democratic nominee for mayor in 1997.
He has also received the endorsement of several Jewish organizations, including the pro-Palestinian Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Action, the New York-based Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), and Bend the Arc, a progressive Jewish organization that deals primarily with domestic matters.
Following his latest insult to Mamdani, Jamie Beran, the CEO of Bend the Arc, said that “Trump is showing once again that he doesn’t care about Jewish people. He only uses us when it’s convenient for him, with no regard to the damage he does to the Jewish community or the danger he puts us in. Both Trump and disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo use smokescreen antisemitism to manipulate Jewish fears for their personal gain."
Trump's attack on Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, is hardly his first. In recent days, the president has slurred the assemblyman as a "communist lunatic" and indicated he'd cut off federal funding from New York if he wins the election. With support from Republican members of Congress, he's also threatened to strip Mamdani's US citizenship and have him deported from the country if he attempts to interfere with deployments of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to carry out mass deportations.
But although Trump has often invoked "antisemitism" to justify his efforts to punish pro-Palestine speech, he's long degraded Jewish people who vote in ways he disagrees with. During the 2024 election, he ranted that “any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion"—an insult to the 79% of Jewish voters who voted for his opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris. Before that, he'd repeatedly referred to Jewish Americans who do not vote for him as "disloyal" to Israel, a country in which they do not live.
In recent weeks, the Republican Party has been dogged by several scandals related to antisemitism. Last month, a leaked group chat of Young Republican operatives—including several who worked for the New York GOP—was revealed by Politico to be full of praise for Adolf Hitler and jokes about gas chambers. Shortly after, Trump's pick for the Office of Special Counsel, Paul Ingrassia, had his nomination tanked after it was revealed that he'd described himself as having a "Nazi streak."
And over the past week, the Heritage Foundation—the influential right-wing think tank behind Trump's Project 2025 agenda—has dealt with discord in its own ranks after its leader, Kevin Roberts, stridently defended right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson's friendly interview with self-described fascist and white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
"The antisemitism smears against Zohran Mamdani increasingly fall flat because people are learning to see through smokescreen antisemitism," Beran told Common Dreams. "That is, how bad actors who have never joined our work, or any work, to actually end antisemitism, instead only use antisemitism to promote themselves and their agendas—which harm Jews, our loved ones, and our neighbors. Trump and his allies claim to defend Jews, yet ignore antisemitism in their own ranks."
"Jewish leaders who actually want to end antisemitism know that leaders like Zohran understand that a strong democracy keeps Jews—and all of us—safest," she continued. "Jews exist across many identities, from immigrants, to trans people, from Black and brown people, to those with disabilities who are struggling to afford life in the city. And actually trying to end antisemitism and all bigotry requires all of us.”
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Cuomo Appears to Hang Up on Interview After Being Asked About Trump Endorsement
Earlier on Monday, rival Zohran Mamdani sarcastically congratulated Cuomo for receiving a backhanded endorsement from the president.
Nov 03, 2025
Independent New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo does not appear to want President Donald Trump's endorsement.
During a Monday interview flagged by MeidasTouch, Cuomo was asked by WQHT morning show host Ebro Darden about Trump giving the former New York governor a backhanded endorsement over his top rival, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
"Your boy was just on '60 Minutes,' Cuomo, saying you're his guy," Darden informed Cuomo.
"No," Cuomo responded.
Darden, however, pressed the issue.
"Trump said you're his candidate!" he said. "If he had to pick a bad Democrat or a... communist, he's picking you!"
There were then several seconds of silence after this before Darden's co-host, Peter Rosenberg, concluded that he had left the interview.
Co-host Laura Stylez lamented that Cuomo never answered Darden's question about the Trump endorsement.
"I really wanted to hear that answer!" she said.
Rosenberg then said that he heard a "click" on Cuomo's end, which indicated that he had apparently ended the call.
"Wow!" exclaimed Stylez. "OK!"
"Oh well!" said Darden.
Ebro: Your boy was just on 60 Minutes, Cuomo, saying that you're his guy!
Cuomo: No.
Ebro: Trump said you're his candidate.
Cuomo: *ends call* pic.twitter.com/GuwgIId5hU
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) November 3, 2025
During an interview that aired Sunday on CBS News' "60 Minutes," Trump said that he was "not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other," before adding that he would nonetheless prefer him to Mamdani.
Mamdani, a Democratic state Assembly member who has represented District 36 since 2021, immediately pounced on Trump’s remarks and sarcastically congratulated his rival for winning the endorsement of a Republican president who is deeply unpopular in New York City.
“Congratulations, Andrew Cuomo!” he wrote in a social media post. “I know how hard you worked for this.”
A leaked audio recording from a Cuomo fundraiser in the Hamptons in August included comments from the former governor about help he expected to receive from Trump as he ran as an independent in the mayoral race, following his loss to Mamdani in the Democratic primary. Cuomo and Trump have reportedly spoken about the race, which will be decided at the ballot box on Tuesday.
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Mamdani Taunts Cuomo For Getting Last-Minute Trump Endorsement as NYC Early Voting Breaks Record
The final days of early voting saw a surge in youth turnout, according to numbers released by the NYC Board of Elections.
Nov 03, 2025
Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Monday taunted top rival Andrew Cuomo for receiving a decidedly backhanded endorsement from President Donald Trump.
During an interview on CBS News' "60 Minutes" that aired on Sunday, Trump criticized both Cuomo and Mamdani, but said that he would pick the former New York governor to be New York City's next mayor if forced to choose.
“I’m not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other," the president said. "But if it's gonna be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you."
Trump again says that he prefers that Cuomo wins the NYC mayoral race.
“I’m not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other, but if it’s gonna be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you.”pic.twitter.com/pGpdMSvotf
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) November 3, 2025
Mamdani, a Democratic state Assembly member who has represented District 36 since 2021, immediately pounced on Trump's remarks and sarcastically congratulated his rival for winning the endorsement of a president who is deeply unpopular in New York City.
"Congratulations, Andrew Cuomo!" he wrote in a social media post. "I know how hard you worked for this."
A leaked audio recording from a Cuomo fundraiser in the Hamptons in August included comments from the former governor about help he expected to receive from Trump as he ran as an independent in the mayoral race, following his loss to Mamdani in the Democratic primary. Cuomo and Trump have reportedly spoken about the race.
The former governor has also suggested that protests against Trump's deployment of federal immigration agents are an "overreaction," and has declined to forcefully condemn the president's weaponization of the justice system against his political opponents.
The New York City mayoral election will conclude on Tuesday night, and polls currently show Mamdani with a commanding lead over Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
The New York Times reported on Sunday that New Yorkers cast 735,000 early ballots this year, which the paper notes is "the highest early in-person turnout ever for a non-presidential election in New York."
The Times also noted that more than 150,000 early ballots were cast on the final day of early voting, driven by a surge in young voters flocking to the polls.
"Turnout among younger age groups lagged early in the week, with about 80,000 people under 35 voting from Sunday to Thursday," the Times explained. "That number jumped from Friday to Sunday, with over 100,000 voters under the age of 35 casting ballots, including more than 45,000 on Sunday."
Laura Tamman, a political scientist at Pace University, told Gothamist on Monday that the surge in youth turnout in the last days of early voting was a "meaningful shift," and likely good news for Mamdani's chances on Tuesday.
In the closing days of the campaign, Cuomo has been accused of employing racist tactics as he has tried portraying Mamdani as an outsider who does not share New York's cultural values, and he pointed to the fact that Mamdani has dual citizenship with the US and Uganda as evidence.
“His parents own a mansion in Uganda, he spent a lot of time there,” Cuomo said during an interview on Fox Business. “He just doesn’t understand the New York culture, the New York values, what 9/11 meant, what entrepreneurial growth means, what opportunity means, why people came here.”
Cuomo also appeared to agree with a recent comment from radio host Sid Rosenberg, who said Mamdani would "be cheering" if "another 9/11" took place.
“This is Andrew Cuomo’a final moments in public life," said Mamdani in response to the remark, "and he’s choosing to spend them making racist attacks.”
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The Disgrace of an Ex-Governor: Andrew Cuomo of New York
A story about another former Republican governor, Charles Evans Hughes—who defended the rights of socialists even though he was not one himself—offers an important contrast when it comes to Cuomo, as unprincipled as any man can be.
Nov 03, 2025
The entire country will be watching as New Yorkers go to the polls tomorrow to elect the new mayor of the city. Zohran Mamdani, the Muslim-American democratic socialist whose meteoric rise to the top of the Democratic field has made him the front runner, is a dynamic, young, and progressive candidate who symbolizes both vigorous resistance to Trumpism and the possibility of meaningful social democratic policy innovation. He has campaigned brilliantly, and his victory would be all but assured were it not for the sour grapes, independent candidacy of the disgraced ex-Governor, Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo, long a self-serving bully willing to practice gutter politics in order to win at all costs, has waged a ruthless campaign, seeking to link Mamdani to 9-11 and Hamas and red-baiting him as a “far-left” socialist who would destroy both the Democratic party and the city itself.
Cuomo’s current campaign would be pathetic if it weren’t so polarizing, toxic, and downright reactionary.
A little over a century ago, another New York ex-Governor also decided to enter the political fray to address the challenges posed to New York by socialists. But he was a man of principle willing to stand against red-baiting, at a time in which it was even more prevalent than it is today, in the age of Trump—and that is saying a lot.
Charles Evans Hughes, unlike Cuomo, had not been driven from office by scandal. Elected Governor in 1906, he chose to step down in 1910 to accept his nomination, quickly confirmed, as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, where he served for six years before stepping down again, this time to accept the 1916 Republican presidential nomination. It was after losing that election to Woodrow Wilson, and returning to private practice as an attorney, that Hughes came forward to vigorously defend the rights of socialists and of the Socialist Party.
In 1920, the Great War had recently ended, the Wilson administration had prosecuted and decimated the Socialist party, Gene Debs was behind bars—from where he ran for president–and the first Red Scare was in full swing. In New York state, the Lusk Committee—the Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Seditious Activities—was working overtime to infiltrate, harass, and arrest a wide range of organizations on the left, including the Socialist party and the newly-formed Communist party. As Adam Hochschild has documented in American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis, it was a time of violent suppression of civil liberties and a hostility toward the left that severely compromised even the rudiments of constitutional democracy.
That year, five Socialists who had been elected to the New York State Assembly were summarily suspended by their peers, by a vote of 140 to 6, on the grounds that they were members of a dangerous organization that had opposed the war, supported the Russian Revolution, and was in thrall to an “invisible alien empire” bent on world revolution.
It was then that Hughes stepped forward to defend the Socialists in the name of the Constitution and democracy itself.
In an open letter addressed to the Assembly Speaker, Hughes declared that “It is not in accordance with the spirit of our institutions, but on the contrary, it is absolutely opposed to the fundamental principles of our Government, for a majority to undertake to deny representation to a minority through its representatives elected by ballots lawfully cast.” If individual members of the Socialist Party were considered guilty of actual crimes, Hughes held, then “let every resource of inquiry, of pursuit, of prosecution, be employed to ferret out and punish the guilty according to our laws.” But, noting that no such inquiry had been pursued, and the evidence of criminality was nonexistent, he insisted that to suppress “masses of our citizens combined for political action, by denying them the only resource of peaceful government,” is both foolish and wrong. Hughes continued: “I speak as one utterly opposed to Socialism and in entire sympathy with every effort to put down violence and crime. But it is because I am solicitous to maintain the peaceful processes essential to democracy that I am anxious to see Socialists as well as Republicans and Democrats enjoy their political rights.”
In response to widespread public outcry, Assembly leaders finally agreed to conduct an actual hearing, as the rules required, which quickly concluded with the official expulsion of the Socialists. (The proceedings are recorded in Albany: The Crisis in Government, edited by Louis Waldman, one of the five. This is a very interesting and important text that ought to be more widely known).
Hughes’s powerful appeal to democratic principle went unheeded, and when he sought to speak against the expulsions at the Assembly hearing–this time as head of a New York Bar Association committee established to challenge the expulsions–he was indeed prevented from speaking. But he had taken a principled stand against a politics of vituperation and demonization, and on behalf of freedom of expression and political pluralism.
Hughes had no personal stake in the controversy about the exclusion of the Socialist legislators and the veritable banning of their party. Yet he believed himself to have a stake in democracy. And taking the position that he did placed him at odds not only with many in his party, but with the propaganda-infused consensus of the society at large. For while he was not part of the “political minority” of Socialists whose rights he defended, he was very much in the minority for even taking the rights of the Socialists seriously.
Hughes was a man of principle. And while his challenge of the Socialists’ expulsion from the New York state Assembly failed, he went on to serve as US Secretary of State, from 1921-1925, in the Republican administration of Warren Harding (who commuted Debs’s prison sentence), and then as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1930-1941.
Cuomo is as unprincipled as any man can be.
If he is able to win this week’s election, he will have joined his nemesis-turned-ally, Donald Trump, in furthering a politics of Know Nothing reaction and anti-socialist fear-mongering.
New York City deserves better, and American politics deserves better.
And Cuomo? He deserves to be remembered as a thug whose loss in tomorrow’s election was the final nail in the coffin of a career marked by arrogance, scandal and disgrace.
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Poll Shows 25-Point Mamdani Lead Over Cuomo as Frantic GOP Fearmongers Over ‘Socialist Uprising’
"Unless there's a historically unprecedented poll miss, some Cuomo fans are living in a fantasy world when it comes to the NYC mayoral race," said one polling analyst.
Oct 30, 2025
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday delivered a frantic warning about progressive New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as new polls showed him with a big lead over top rival Andrew Cuomo.
During a news conference at the US Capitol, Johnson attacked Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries for giving a lukewarm endorsement of Mamdani last week and accused the entire Democratic Party of embracing "Marxism."
"By endorsing Mamdani, Hakeem Jeffries has endorsed and co-owned his positions, his past statements, his Marxist playbook, and everything else that guy espouses," Johnson said. "So too does every single House Democrat who will be inviting their leader, Jeffries, to their campaigns."
Johnson also said that Mamdani's candidacy was part of a "socialist uprising," and that "we have the responsibility to call out and sound the alarms" about his rise to power.
🚨Speaker Johnson says Republicans have "a responsibility to call out" the "socialist uprising," pointing to NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani. pic.twitter.com/X3StkxT4mU
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) October 30, 2025
The "socialist uprising" that Johnson suggested people across the country should fear includes policy proposals like an expansion of a fare-free public bus pilot program, a network of city-owned grocery stores, and a rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments—which has already been enacted at least three times in New York City.
During a Wednesday interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, Cuomo accused Mamdani of being "totally out of sync with how New Yorkers feel," and then pointed to the fact that Mamdani has "dual citizenship" between the US and Uganda.
"His parents own a mansion in Uganda, he spent a lot of time there," Cuomo said. "He just doesn't understand the New York culture, the New York values, what 9/11 meant, what entrepreneurial growth means, what opportunity means, why people came here."
Two polls released on Thursday, however, indicated that fear-mongering about Mamdani appears to be falling on deaf ears.
As reported by Spectrum News, an Emerson College poll showed Mamdani hitting the 50% threshold among likely voters, with Cuomo trailing by 25 percentage points. A poll from Marist, meanwhile, showed Mamdani winning 48% of likely voters, with Cuomo receiving 32%.
Although the Marist poll was better for Cuomo than the Emerson poll, it also showed that Mamdani would likely win the election even if Republican Curtis Sliwa dropped out of the race at the last minute, as Mamdani in a theoretical head-to-head matchup with Cuomo still maintained a lead of seven percentage points.
Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, told Spectrum News that Mamdani's voter coalition appears to be strong heading into next week's election, as he has improved his standing among Black voters while maintaining significant advantages among young voters.
In fact, noted Kimball, Mamdani even has a plurality of voters over the age of 50, whose support Cuomo needs to pull off an upset victory.
CNN polling expert Harry Enten argued on Thursday that the latest polls show Mamdani is the overwhelming favorite to win the election.
"Unless there's a historically unprecedented poll miss, some Cuomo fans are living in a fantasy world when it comes to the NYC mayoral race," he wrote on X. "Mamdani has, if anything, widened his big lead since September. Also, early voting stats are consistent with polls showing a Mamdani win."
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After Fake Mamdani Hit Piece, the Real Bill DeBlasio Says Zohran's 'Vision Is Both Necessary and Achievable'
“It may take time, but it’s achievable," said the former mayor after impersonator fooled UK journalist at The Times of London.
Oct 29, 2025
The real Bill De Blasio is down for Zohran Mamdani and his economic vision for New York City.
After an individual impersonating De Blasio successfully duped a journalist with The Times of London into believing the former Democratic mayor was lashing out against the current Democratic nominee's proposals in an article published Tuesday, the real De Blasio, a consistent ally of Mamdani, was forced to speak out and correct the record.
“It was just brought to my attention and I’m appalled," De Blasio declared in a social media post. "I never spoke to that reporter and never said those things. Those quotes aren’t mine, don’t reflect my views."
De Blasio said he was "astounded" the article was published and called it "a complete fabrication."
"I demand that The Times pull down this story immediately. It is an absolute violation of journalistic ethics," De Blasio added in a separate post. "The truth is I fully support Zohran Mamdani and believe his vision is both necessary and achievable."
The Times soon acknowledged the egregious error, took down the article, and apologized to the former mayor for the lapse in journalistic integrity.
“The Times has apologized to Bill de Blasio and removed the article immediately after discovering that our reporter had been misled by an individual falsely claiming to be the former New York mayor,” read a statement by the newspaper.
The correction and apology, however, did not arrive in time to prevent the article and its false statements from making a blitz across the internet. As the New York Times reports:
The fabricated article had quoted Mr. de Blasio as saying “in my view, the math doesn’t hold up under scrutiny, and the political hurdles are substantial.”
A spokesman for Mr. Mamdani’s main rival, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, shared a New York Post story about the interview on social media and said that Mr. de Blasio had read the “fine print” on Mr. Mamdani’s plans and found they were made only of “glitter and vibes.”
While Cuomo and other right-wing opponents of Mamdani have said the city, home to more than 120 billionaires and vast neighborhoods of the super-rich, cannot afford some of his proposal like free public transport, childcare, and other social programs to be subsidized by higher taxes on the rich, De Blasio said in the wake of the impersonation that he personally believes in the agenda laid out by Mamdani.
“I’ve said repeatedly that everything I’ve heard of Zohran’s vision is achievable,” de Blasio said. “It may take time, but it’s achievable.”
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Mamdani Denounces Cuomo 'Cowardice,' Pledges to Defend NYC From Trump in Mayoral Debate
Capitulation to the president, said the Democratic mayoral candidate, is "what we would see from Donald Trump's puppet."
Oct 17, 2025
New York City mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani did not have to reach far back into the past to remind viewers of Thursday night's debate that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has displayed a refusal to stand up to President Donald Trump—which he argued could put the city at risk as the president continues to threaten cities in blue states.
When Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, addressed Trump and said, "I will fight you every step of the way if you try to hurt New York," Mamdani was quick to jump in.
"Unless he weaponizes the justice system to go after the attorney general of the state, in which case you'll issue a statement that doesn't even name the president," said the state Assembly member. "And no matter what you think about Donald Trump, you know that not even being able to name him is an act of cowardice."
Andrew Cuomo acts tough on TV. But when Donald Trump came after our Attorney General, Cuomo couldn't even name him. That's cowardice. pic.twitter.com/kThCkhFBye
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) October 16, 2025
Mamdani was referring to a statement released last week by Cuomo after Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James for alleged bank fraud. James has been a target of the president, especially since she successfully prosecuted him for financial fraud, and he forced a US attorney out of his job over his refusal to file charges against New York's top law enforcement official.
In his initial statement after the indictment, Cuomo did not mention James or Trump by name, saying only that "when the law is weaponized or manipulated to advance political agendas, it erodes public trust and weakens the very foundation of justice."
He named the president and attorney general, who is a close ally of Mamdani, in a subsequent statement, but when asked by a PIX 11 reporter this week whether he would condemn Trump for using the DOJ to target James, he replied, "Condemn him for what?”
"Both sides, Democrats and Republicans believe there’s too much politics in the justice system," added the former governor, who was forced to resign in 2021 after being accused of sexual harassment by multiple women.
The interview led Mamdani to warn that "Andrew Cuomo is incapable of speaking clearly and directly about Trump’s authoritarianism," and the mayoral candidate doubled down on that assertion during the debate, saying that capitulation to the president is "what we would see from Donald Trump's puppet."
The exchange comes as Trump is ramping up federal law enforcement operations in cities including Chicago and Portland, Oregon, which he has claimed are overrun with undocumented immigrants who commit crimes and violent left-wing protesters—allegations that are not supported by statistical data and have been rejected by courts, local residents, and officials.
The president has threatened to deploy the National Guard to multiple Democratic-led cities—which both Mamdani and Cuomo said they oppose during the debate—but Mamdani warned the president will "have to get through me as the next mayor of the city" if he attacks New York City as he's threatened to, should the progressive Democrat win the election.
Trump has also threatened to rip federal funding away from the city if Mamdani wins, and has reportedly spoken to Cuomo about the race in a recent call, weighing the possibility of getting involved in the election to try to sway the vote toward the former governor. Both Cuomo and Trump have denied the call took place.
As the debate aired, Mamdani reminded New Yorkers of previous comments Cuomo has made about Trump's deployment of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to Los Angeles, when he said officers were "going to do things that are illegal and unconstitutional, but let's not overreact"—a reference to protests against the deployment.
"This is how Andrew Cuomo thinks we should respond to authoritarianism," said Mamdani, who was filmed earlier this year joining other New Yorkers in confronting Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, on the abduction of former Columbia University student organizer Mahmoud Khalil.
He also talked about the terror that's unfolded in recent months at the city's immigration court, where federal officers have detained people attending asylum hearings, threw a woman to the ground as she was pleading with agents not to take her husband away from her and her children, and arrested Democratic officials who were helping immigrants and protesting the enforcement actions.
"I agree that we need more legal representation," said Mamdani. "I also think we need to actually be able to stand up to Donald Trump."
What used to be a place of joy or simple routine check-ins has become a horror house of fear and separation under this federal government.
As someone who would be the first immigrant Mayor in generations, I refuse to stand for it. pic.twitter.com/AIDt6WuxGc
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) October 17, 2025
During the debate, Mamdani also hammered home his campaign's central message regarding the need to make the city more affordable for working people—lambasting Cuomo for his focus on the rent-stabilized apartment Mamdani and his wife live in, which the former governor has said the couple should leave to allow low-income New Yorkers to live there.
"You've heard it from Andrew Cuomo that the No. 1 crisis in the city, the housing crisis, the answer is to evict my wife and I," said Mamdani. "He thinks you address this crisis by unleashing my landlord's ability to raise my rent. If you think the problem in this city is that my rent is too low, vote for him. If you know that the problem in this city is that your rent it too high, vote for me."
When Cuomo invoked Mamdani's lack of experience in an executive role and suggested he would be ill-prepared to lead the city through a crisis, Mamdani responded with a barb regarding Cuomo's March 2020 order that nursing homes allow residents to be readmitted after a Covid-19 diagnosis, which was followed by efforts to undercount the death toll in the facilities.
"If we have a health pandemic then why would New Yorkers turn back to the governor who sent seniors to their death in nursing homes?" said Mamdani. "That's the kind of experience that's on offer here today."
"What I don't have in experience I make up for in integrity," he said, turning to his rival, "and what you don't have in integrity you could never make up for in experience."
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Mamdani Delivers a Direct Message to Trump During Contentious Fox News Interview
"I will not be a mayor, like Mayor Adams, who will call you to figure out how to stay out of jail," Mamdani said.
Oct 15, 2025
Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday went on Fox News on Wednesday to deliver a direct message to President Donald Trump.
During an appearance on "The Story With Martha MacCallum," Mamdani looked directly into the camera and addressed Trump on the off chance he was watching the show.
"I will not be a mayor, like Mayor Adams, who will call you to figure out how to stay out of jail," he said, just weeks after Mayor Eric Adams ended his reelection campaign. "I won't be a disgraced governor, like Andrew Cuomo, who will call you to ask how to win this election. I can do those things on my own."
Mamdani then listed issues that he would happy to speak with the Republican president about in future conversations.
"I will, however, be a mayor who's ready to speak at any time to lower the cost of living," he said. "That's the way that I will lead the city and the partnership I want to build not only with Washington, DC, but anyone across this country. I think it's important because too often the focus on the needs of working-class Americans are put to the side as we talk more and more about the very kinds of corrupt politicians, like Andrew Cuomo, that delivered us into this kind of crisis."
Mamdani: Trump might be watching right now. I want to speak directly to the president. I will not be a mayor like Mayor Adams who will call you to figure out how to stay out of jail or be a disgrace governor like Andrew Cuomo who will call you to ask how to win this election. I… pic.twitter.com/cPaaaTC8XD
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 15, 2025
Elsewhere in the interview, Mamdani directly addressed Cuomo, who is running as an independent and is his top rival in the New York City mayoral election.
"Andrew: You had your chance to lead this state," he said. "You took that time to sell out working-class New Yorkers to your billionaire donors. And instead of actually meeting the needs of people who couldn't afford to live in this city, you gave $959 million in tax breaks to Elon Musk."
Mamdani: "Andrew Cuomo is gonna say a lot of things tomorrow night on the debate stage. And frankly, I wish it was more like Nascar so New Yorkers could see the billionaires that were sponsoring him right on his suit jacket. He watches Fox News as well. So I'll just speak to him… pic.twitter.com/8T3k14lbeW
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 15, 2025
Mamdani is scheduled to square off against Cuomo and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa on Thursday night in the penultimate debate ahead of next month's election. Early voting begins October 25.
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Trump Threatens to Cut All Federal Funds to NYC If Mamdani Is Elected
Trump falsely labeled Mamdani a "communist" and said his ideology "has failed, always, for thousands of years."
Sep 29, 2025
US President Donald Trump on Monday doubled down on his threat to cut off federal funding from New York City if its voters elect Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani as mayor.
In a post on his Truth Social page, Trump falsely labeled Mamdani a "communist" and predicted that "he is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City."
Trump then elaborated on the "problems" Mamdani would face.
"Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises," Trump wrote. "He won’t be getting any of it, so what's the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!"
Trump has not made a formal endorsement in the New York City mayoral election, although various reports have suggested he and his allies have been working behind the scenes to boost former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whom polls show is in second place behind Mamdani.
Cuomo's campaign got a potential boost this weekend when incumbent New York Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race, although Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa remains in the race.
Mamdani on Sunday put out a video in which he linked Cuomo to Trump, who is deeply unpopular in the city.
"Andrew Cuomo, you got your wish," he said. "You wanted Trump and your billionaire friends to help you clear the field. But don't forget: You wanted me as your opponent in the primary too. And we beat you by 13 points. Looking forward to doing it again."
Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Adams and Cuomo’s actions. But they won't decide this election.
In just over 5 weeks, we'll turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas — and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of. pic.twitter.com/0UENxTENCO
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) September 28, 2025
The mayoral election is set to take place on November 4.
The city's budget for the 2025 fiscal year included nearly $10 billion in federal funds, with the New York City Department of Education receiving more federal funding than any other agency. Significant federal dollars also go to the city's housing and social services agencies and its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
Last week, the U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights notified New York City schools that it would strip them of $15 billion in funding allocated last year to create six magnet high schools unless it committed to ending transgender protections.
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Eric Adams Drops Out of NYC Mayor Race in Face of Trump Pressure to Stop Mamdani
"Donald Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo's actions but they will not dictate the results of this election," Mamdani said in response to the news.
Sep 28, 2025
Following pressure to drop out of the mayoral race from the Trump administration and business leaders, current New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday that he would end his bid to seek reelection.
Adams was running as an Independent against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also running as an Independent; Republican Curtis Sliwa; and frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist whose victory in the Democratic primary has spooked moneyed interests and right-wing politicians including US President Donald Trump.
" Donald Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo's actions but they will not dictate the results of this election," Mandani said in response to the news. "New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On November 4, we are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of."
Adams' term as mayor was marked by scandal. He was charged with bribery, wire fraud, and soliciting illegal campaign donations from foreign parties by the federal government in 2024 only to have the charges dropped by Trump's Department of Justice in 2025 so that Adams could focus on facilitating Trump's anti-immigrant crackdown. The incident raised concerns among New Yorkers that Adams was beholden to the president.
"Despite all we've achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign," Adams said in a video posted on social media Sunday. "The constant media speculation about my future and the Campaign Finance Board's decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign."
Adams had faced pressure to bow out of the race so that Cuomo would be the only centrist candidate, in a bid to hinder Mamdani's pathway to victory. His announcement comes weeks after the news broke that Trump administration officials were weighing offering jobs to Adams and Sliwa in order to boost Cuomo.
In his video, Adams did not endorse any other candidate by name, but appeared to warn against Mamdani.
“Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer [is] to destroy the very system we built over generations,” he said. “That is not change, that is chaos. Instead, I urge leaders to choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they have delivered."
Cuomo praised Adams for his decision, saying, "I believe he is sincere in putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition. We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them."
However, it is unclear how much Adams' departure will actually help Cuomo, as he was polling at less than 10% and, as the Associated Press noted, there is no guarantee that enough of his supporters would switch their allegiance to Cuomo to make a difference.
Mandani has run a popular campaign focused on lowering the cost of living in New York City, including proposals such as free busses, city-run grocery stores, and universal childcare.
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