NYC mayoral frontrunner Mamdani vows to reject Trump funding ‘threats’

Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani struck a defiant tone in a speech early Monday morning in response to President Donald Trump’s “threats” to block federal funding for New York City if the democratic socialist is elected Tuesday.

Mamdani walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall at sunrise in a spectacular protest on the eve of Election Day. Flanked by his supporters, local officials and Attorney General Letitia James, Mamdani vowed to fight back against the Trump administration.

“What we have seen in cities and states across the country is the need, not only to use the bully pulpit but also the courts, to ensure that every dollar owed to a municipality is a dollar that is paid,” Mamdani said. “And I will take every day, after this election, to bring together my city government, my city hall, to make sure that it is prepared not only for the threats of Donald Trump, but also for the threats of an affordability crisis that has pushed one in four New Yorkers into poverty.”

Trump told CBS’ Norah O’Donnell on “60 Minutes” on Sunday that if Mamdani wins, it’s “going to be difficult for me as president to give a lot of money to New York.”

ZOHRAN MAMDANI LAUNCHES ANTI-TRUMP TOUR IN FIVE NEW YORK BOROUGHS

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is joined by Attorney General Letitia James, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, Monday, November 3, 2025. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Because if you have a communist running New York, you’re just wasting the money you send there,” Trump added.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI COMMITS TO FIGHT AGAINST TRUMP’S THREAT TO WITHHOLD FEDERAL FUNDING FOR NYC

The president has criticized Mamdani’s mayoral campaign since the self-described democratic socialist defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary in June. Trump calls Mamdani a “100% crazy communist” or “my little communist” – a nickname Mamdani rejects.

This summer, after securing the Democratic Party nomination, Mamdani organized a week-long “Five Boroughs Against Trump” campaign across New York City.

“I’m not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other, but if it’s going to be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m going to pick that bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you,” Trump said on “60 Minutes.”

Mamdani on Monday referred to Trump’s aforementioned comments as an endorsement of Cuomo. Trump declined to support Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who is also on the ballot.

“Late last night, Andrew Cuomo received support from Donald Trump,” Mamdani said. “If we are elected mayor, our city will only sink deeper into a darkness that has forced too many of our neighbors to flee and made it impossible for working people to live a dignified life.”

When reached for comment, Cuomo campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi told Fox News Digital that Mamdani was “lying” about Trump’s support for the former governor.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a campaign event in front of New York City Hall, Monday, November 3, 2025. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“There’s only one candidate in this race who has a history of fighting for New York and fighting the Trump administration when it was in New York’s best interest and winning, and that’s Andrew Cuomo. We’re not going to let him bully his way into Election Day,” Azzopardi said.

While Cuomo has the gubernatorial experience of taking on Trump during his first administration, Mamdani pledged Monday to create an “alternative” to the Trump administration at City Hall.

“We see Donald Trump regularly making these kinds of threats against this city and its elected officials,” Mamdani said. “The difference we are proposing is a movement that will not be shaken by these threats, and we need not look far for inspiration on exactly how to continue to fight for what is right in the city and in this state.”

Joined by Trump foe James, who pleaded not guilty last week to two charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, Mamdani said the attorney general “continues to demonstrate the courage that New Yorkers desperately seek in elected officials, a courage to hold everyone accountable under the same set of laws.”

President Donald Trump looks on as he addresses members of the media aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Nov. 2, 2025. (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz)

James filed a lawsuit against the Trump Organization in 2019, which found Trump and his company liable for civil fraud last year. She also filed several lawsuits against the Trump administration this year, rejecting his executive orders and seeking to unblock federal funds.

“Donald Trump can talk like it’s his decision, but it’s money this city owes. It’s money we hope to raise,” Mamdani said Monday.

As Mamdani heads toward Election Day, the democratic socialist is positioning himself as the candidate best equipped to challenge Trump, while attempting to connect Cuomo to the president.

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“We’ve known for a long time that Andrew Cuomo is Donald Trump’s puppet in this race. What we didn’t really expect is that he would also become his parrot in the final days,” Mamdani said.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.