President Trump on Monday panned New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for endorsing Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral bid, suggesting the state’s federal funding could face more scrutiny.
Mr. Trump referred to Mr. Mamdani as “Liddle’ Communist” in a post on Truth Social
“This is a rather shocking development, and a very bad one for New York City,” Mr. Trump posted. “How can such a thing happen?”
“Washington will be watching this situation very closely. No reason to be sending good money after bad!” he said.
Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, took her time before announcing Sunday in a New York Times op-ed that she is supporting Mr. Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who won her party’s June primary by nearly 13 percentage points.
She cited Mr. Mamdani’s support for making the city safe for children, combating antisemitism and making New York City more affordable.
Ms. Hochul also said the city needs leaders who will set aside their differences and stand up against Mr. Trump’s reckless policies.
“Mr. Mamdani and I will both be fearless in confronting the president’s extreme agenda — with urgency, conviction and the defiance that defines New York,” Ms. Hochul said. “And we must never allow Mr. Trump to control our city like the king he wants to be.”
She also took a thinly veiled jab at Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who is seeking reelection as an independent. Mr. Adams had faced federal charges of corruption that the Trump administration opted not to pursue in exchange for his cooperation in its immigration efforts. A federal judge dismissed the charges in their entirety in April.
“Anyone who accepts his [Mr. Adams’] tainted influence or benefits from it is compromised from the start,” Ms. Hochul said.
Rumors have swirled around the idea that the Trump administration has offered Mr. Adams an ambassadorship in exchange for his dropping out of the race, which could boost former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s chances in the mayoral race. Mr. Cuomo is running as an independent after having resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations and being replaced by Ms. Hochul.
Mr. Adams has denied the reports and said he is remaining in the race.
Mr. Mamdani has held a consistent lead over Mr. Adams, Mr. Cuomo and Republican nominee Eric Sliwa, founder of the crime-prevention Guardian Angels and whom Mr. Trump has dismissed as being “not exactly prime time.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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