President Trump issued a warning early Monday about potentially cutting federal funding to New York following Governor Kathy Hochul’s endorsement of Zoran Mamdani, a socialist candidate for mayor of New York City.
He expressed his disapproval online, stating, “New York Governor Kathy Hochul supports the ‘radical communist’ Zoran Mamdani running for mayor of New York City. This is rather shocking and bad news for the city.”
Trump continued, “Why does this happen? Washington will be keeping a close eye on the situation.”
His comments came after Hochul’s support for Mamdani—who had hesitated to join the mayoral race for several months—became public late Sunday, coinciding with her essay defending her endorsement that appeared in the New York Times.
In her piece, Hochul mentioned, “I’ve had an open conversation with him in recent months. We don’t see eye to eye on everything.”
Hochul emphasized her commitment to ensuring New York is a safe environment for children and a place of opportunity for families.
This endorsement marks a significant victory for Mamdani, a candidate from the far left, who previously oversaw the Democratic nomination process after joining the race in June.
Meanwhile, state Senators Carl Heastie, Hakeem Jeffries, and Chuck Schumer have yet to endorse Mamdani. It remains uncertain whether Hochul’s actions will sway their positions.
Trump’s unexpected reaction arrived just days after he remarked that Mamdani could potentially outperform notable figures in the election, including former Governor Andrew Cuomo and current Mayor Eric Adams.
“I’m not monitoring the vote too closely, but he’s likely to win,” Trump noted, calling it “a rebellion.”
