Donald Trump made eerie threat to Zohran Mamdani before he got elected

The East Coast erupted into a chorus of cheer yesterday (4 November) after Zohran Mamdani was elected the mayor of New York City, capping a stunning ascent for the 34-year-old state politician, who is set to become the city’s most liberal mayor in generations.

Mamdani, who successfully defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, has made history after becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage, and the first born in Africa.

According to poll results from NBC News, Mamdani secured 50.4 per cent of the vote, while Cuomo and Sliwa received 41.6 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively.

Additionally, the election saw the largest turnout in a mayoral race in more than half a century, with over two million New Yorkers casting ballots, according to the city’s Board of Elections.

Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City Mayor election.

"The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologise for any of this," Mamdani declared to a roaring crowd at his victory party.

"New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change," the politician said, vowing to 'wake up each morning with a singular purpose: To make this city better for you than it was the day before'.

Mamdani will also become the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office at the start of next year (1 January).

What was Donald Trump’s threat to Mamdani before the election win?

In his victory speech, Mamdani addressed US President Donald Trump head-on after the 79-year-old Republican was accused of perpetuating an 'authoritarian dictatorship'.

Trump previously ranted about Mamdani on Truth Social, threatening to withhold funding from the city if Mamdani were to be elected.

He wrote: "Self-proclaimed New York City Communist, Zohran Mamdani, who is running for Mayor, will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party."

Mamdani is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, not a communist.

Trump continued: "He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfil all of his FAKE Communist promises.

"He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!"

Mamdani's response to Trump

In his victory speech, Mamdani proudly announced: "New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant.

"If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him."

After Mamdani's win, Trump swiftly took to Truth Social once again to pipe up: "…AND SO IT BEGINS!"

Can Trump withhold funds from New York City?

As we say, Trump has threatened to cut funding to the largest urban hub of the US if Mamdani became mayor, and now that he actually has, can the president follow through on his threat?

Well, according to a New York State Comptroller report, which is an analysis of federal funding for New York published in April this year, the Big Apple will require $7.4bn in federal funding for the fiscal year 2026.

The report, published on April 28, showed that federal funding accounts for 6.4 per cent of total spending. The remaining funds came from state taxes, fees, and other sources of income.

Under the US Constitution, it is Congress, not the president, which has the authority to decide how federal funds are allocated to each of the states.

As per Article I, Section 8, of the US Constitution, Congress can collect taxes and decide how money should be spent on national needs. Additionally, Article I of Section 9 of the US Constitution states: "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law."

This means that if the president does not execute federal funding decisions made by Congress, that would be considered an unconstitutional act of 'impoundment' on the president’s part.

With that said, however, Congress is currently controlled by the Republican Party, as they hold 53 seats in the Senate, while the Democrats hold 47. Meanwhile, Republicans hold 220 seats and Democrats hold 212 in the House of Representatives.