Mamdani fires back after Trump threatens to cut NYC federal aid if he wins

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani fired back at President Donald Trump after Trump threatened Monday to block federal support if Mamdani wins the November election. The city relies on $9.6 billion in federal aid for schools, housing programs and public safety, a share that represents more than 8% of its budget.

Threat over city budget: In his post on Truth Social, Trump warned that Mamdani “is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City” and declared, “He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him?” The statement did not identify which federal streams would be targeted, but the threatened amount touches programs that millions of New Yorkers rely on daily. Since federal appropriations are controlled by Congress, meaning any presidential attempt to withhold them would almost certainly trigger legal challenges.
Vow to defend federal dollars: Mamdani, who has maintained a lead in recent polls over his opponents, dismissed the remarks at a press event, saying, “I think that Donald Trump is going through the stages of grief. He began with denial, where he said that there was no way we could win this race … Now he’s coming to terms with the fact that we’re going to win this race.” He later appeared on CNN, where he vowed, “No, we will fight for every single dollar that the city currently receives from the federal government.”
Shifting election dynamics: The clash comes weeks before the Nov. 4 general election, where Mamdani faces former governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams has exited the race, clearing the way for a direct contest between Mamdani and Cuomo.

This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.

Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we’re building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community.

Subscribe here now!

Share this Article