WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump mocked Zohran Mamdani, the New York City Democratic nominee for mayor, as a “pure, true communist” and a “total nut job,” predicting he will “have a lot of fun with him” if the Democratic socialist is elected.
“I think he’s terrible. He’s a communist. The last thing we need is a communist,” Trump told reporters on July 1 on the south lawn of the White House before departing to tour the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center in Florida.
“I think he’s bad news, and I think I’m going to have a lot of fun with him watching him because he has to go right through this building to get his money,” Trump said, gesturing toward the White House. “And don’t worry, he’s not going to run away with anything. Frankly, I’ve heard he’s a total nut job.”
Mamdani rode a wave of support from young voters and liberals to win last week’s Democratic primary in a major upset over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani rejected prior accusations from Trump that he’s a communist during a June 29 appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“No, I am not,” said Mamdani, a 33-year old New York state assemblyman. “And I have already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from, who I am, ultimately, because he wants to distract from what I’m fighting for.”
More: ‘We made history.’ What Zohran Mamdani’s win means for Democrats and the Trump GOP
While communism adheres to the collective ownership of all property and the end of capitalism, a democratic socialist doesn’t believe in ending capitalism, but aims to reform it through democracy.
“I don’t think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality,” Mamdani said in his “Meet the Press” interview when asked whether he believes billionaires should exist.
More: NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani says ‘I don’t think we should have billionaires’
Trump has threatened to withhold federal funds from New York City if Mamdani doesn’t “do the right thing” if he is elected mayor.
“The people of New York are crazy,” Trump said. “If they go this route, I think they’re crazy. We will have a communist ‒ for the first time really, a pure, true communist. He wants to operate the grocery stores, the department stores. What about the people who are there? I think it’s crazy.”
In the November general election, Mamdani will face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, Republican and founder of the Guardian Angels, Curtis Sliwa, former federal prosecutor Jim Walden, and possibly Cuomo, who is considering an independent run for mayor in November as part of a “Fight and Deliver” party that he formed.
Contributing: Sara Wire of USA TODAY
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump predicts ‘a lot of fun’ with Mamdani if he’s elected NYC mayor
