Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, has strongly responded to threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a statement posted Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter), Mamdani condemned the president’s remarks and called them an attack on democracy and an attempt to scare those who dare to speak out.
Zohran Mamdani has responded to Trump’s threat
Highlights
- Trump called NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani a communist and threatened to arrest him if he defies ICE agents.
- Mamdani condemned Trump's threats as attacks on democracy and vowed he will not be intimidated.
- Mamdani, a naturalized citizen and democratic socialist, campaigns on housing, safety reform, and immigrant protections.
Image credits: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
“His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy, but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: If you speak up, they will come for you,” Mamdani wrote. “We will not accept this intimidation.”
Trump made the threat during a press conference in South Florida.
During the conference, right-wing Republican Congressman, Rep. Andy Ogles, called for Mamdani to be denaturalized.
“A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally,” Trump said about Mamdani. “We’re going to look at everything. And ideally, he’s going to turn out to be much less than a communist, but right now, he’s a communist.”
Mamdani is a naturalized U.S. citizen and, therefore, is in the country legally.
Ogles, a Republican from Tennessee, urged the Justice Department to strip Mamdani of his citizenship based on an old rap lyric. Ogles accused Mamdani of supporting terrorist groups in his song, ‘Salaam’.
He claims that Mamdani’s lyric, “Free the Holy Land Five / My Guys” should prompt an inquiry into “affiliations or sympathies” that were not disclosed during his naturalization process.
Years before his bid for mayor, Mamdani was Young Cardamom, a C-list rapper.
The White House has not dismissed these claims about his citizenship.
On Monday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Fox News interview that such accusations “should be investigated if they are true.”
Since his surprising win over former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary, Mamdani has faced increasing hostility from conservative politicians.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist and sitting state assembly member, ran on a progressive platform focused on housing, public safety reform, and immigration justice.
He has promised to resist ICE raids if elected mayor, vowing to use his authority to protect immigrants in the city.
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“A life of dignity should not be reserved for a fortunate few,” Mamdani said in his victory speech on June 25. “It should be one that city government guarantees for each and every New Yorker.”
Trump has called Mamdani a “100% communist lunatic” and painted him as a symbol of far-left politics.
Trump was also asked for his response to Mamdani’s vow to defy ICE agents during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Trump threatened to arrest Mamdani if he defies ICE
Legally, the federal government is constitutionally charged with enforcing immigration laws, but states and local government agencies are not required to collaborate on immigration enforcement.
Trump has also threatened to withhold federal funding from New York if Mamdani is elected mayor in early November.
This is not the first time Trump has made claims about an opponent’s identity.
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Previously, Trump questioned the legitimacy of former President Barack Obama’s citizenship and Vice President Kamala Harris’ identity as a black woman.
Now, support for Mamdani has grown in response to the attacks.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who had not endorsed him in the primary, came to his defense on social media.
“I don’t care if you’re the President of the United States,” she wrote. “If you threaten to unlawfully go after one of our neighbors, you’re picking a fight with 20 million New Yorkers — starting with me.”
The Trump administration has stepped up efforts to increase deportations, including plans to prioritize denaturalization cases and strip citizenship from naturalized Americans accused of crimes.
In recent weeks, protests against ICE raids and Trump’s immigration policies have spread across major cities, including New York.
When asked if Trump supported Mamdani, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “I haven’t heard him say that. I haven’t heard him call for that, but certainly he does not want this individual to be elected.”