It was a New York City-sized feud \u2013 two Queens guys who figured they knew what was best for the Big Apple, verbally duking it out, one from the White House and the other from the mayoral campaign trail.<\/p>\n
Long before he became mayor–<\/strong>elect<\/span> of America\u2019s largest city, Zohran Mamdani, who lived in Astoria for years,<\/a> emerged as a favorite target and leftist boogeyman for President Donald Trump, a Jamaica Estates native who made it big in Manhattan.<\/a><\/p>\n During public appearances and social media tirades, Trump seized on Mamdani\u2019s rise as one of the left\u2019s leading figures to warn that he would spell disaster for New York.<\/p>\n Trump took issue with Mamdani\u2019s voice, disparaged his intelligence, regularly railed against his agenda and even offered on social media that he \u201clooks TERRIBLE.\u201d<\/a> He also called Mamdani a \u201cJEW HATER,\u201d<\/a> questioned his citizenship and threatened to arrest him and cut off funding for New York<\/a> if he became mayor.<\/p>\n Mamdani, meanwhile, called Trump a “despot”<\/a> and pledged to make New York City a bulwark against his presidency.<\/p>\n Then Mamdani won, and both men changed their tune. The 79-year-old two-term president welcomed the 34-year-old mayor-elect into the White House for a chummy face-to-face<\/a> and declared afterward on social media that it was a \u201cGreat Honor\u201d to meet him.<\/a><\/p>\n Now the relationship between the two high-profile leaders, one a young political prodigy and the other the oldest man ever elected president, enters a new phase as Mamdani wields power over a city Trump called home for decades, and where he built his real estate empire.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a timeline of their relationship.<\/p>\n Mamdani\u2019s primary victory<\/a> shocked the political establishment and excited progressives. Trump also took notice, warning in a June 25 social media post<\/a> that \u201cDemocrats have crossed the line.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n The president then laced into Mamdani \u2013 a democratic socialist who campaigned heavily on bringing down the cost of living \u2013 in deeply personal terms, saying, \u201cHe looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he\u2019s not very smart.\u201d He also called Mamdani a communist, a term he\u2019d frequently misapply to the new mayor.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a big moment in the History of our Country!\u201d the president concluded.<\/p>\n Mamdani pledged during his campaign that New York under his leadership wouldn\u2019t assist Trump\u2019s crackdown on immigrants without legal status.<\/p>\n Trump’s response: \u201cWell then, we\u2019ll have to arrest him.”<\/p>\n The president added during a July 1 visit to Florida<\/a> that “a lot of people are saying he’s here illegally.” Mamdani was born in Uganda and is a naturalized U.S. citizen.<\/p>\n Trump continued to target Mamdani as the general election approached, calling him a \u201cLiddle’ Communist\u201d in a Sept. 15 social media post<\/a>. And he hinted at the idea of withholding federal funds from the city.<\/p>\n \u201cWashington will be watching this situation very closely,\u201d Trump said. \u201cNo reason to be sending good money after bad!\u201d<\/p>\n As Mamdani\u2019s campaign gained momentum, Republicans increasingly invoked him to argue that Democrats are too liberal and outside the mainstream.<\/p>\n Mamdani \u201cwill prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party,\u201d Trump said in a Sept 29 social media post.<\/a><\/p>\n The president also expanded on his threat to withhold federal funds from New York City.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City,\u201d Trump said. \u201cRemember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won\u2019t be getting any of it, so what\u2019s the point of voting for him?\u201d<\/p>\n Trump again threatened New York\u2019s federal funding in a Nov. 3 social media post<\/a> in which he endorsed Mamdani\u2019s opponent, Andrew Cuomo<\/a>. And he warned that under Mamdani, \u201cthis once great City has ZERO chance of success, or even survival!\u201d<\/p>\n Trump loomed over the mayor\u2019s race, serving as a frequent foil for Mamdani, who promised to stand up to him.<\/p>\n Asked during the first general election debate<\/a> on Oct. 16 to say what the headline would be after his first year as mayor, he said, \u201cMamdani continues to take on Trump, delivers on affordability agenda for New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n A few minutes later, Mamdani said that if Trump \u201cever wants to come for New Yorkers in the way that he has been, he\u2019s going to have to get through me as the next mayor of this city.\u201d<\/p>\n Mamdani\u2019s views on Israel and the Palestinian territories were closely scrutinized during the campaign. He has advocated boycotting Israel, criticized the war in Gaza and long supported Palestinian rights.<\/p>\n Trump said in a Nov. 4 social media post<\/a> on the eve of the general election that Jewish individuals shouldn\u2019t back Mamdani, the city\u2019s first Muslim mayor, accusing him of hating Jewish people.<\/p>\n \u201cAny Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n Mamdani, conversely, repeatedly decried antisemitism during his campaign.<\/p>\n Celebrating his Nov. 5 victory on election night, Mamdani took aim at Trump in his speech.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIf anyone can show a nation betrayed by\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cAnd if there is any way to defeat a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.\u201d<\/p>\n Mamdani continued: \u201cThis is not only how we stop Trump \u2012 it\u2019s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump<\/a>, since I know you\u2019re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump took to social media during Mamdani\u2019s speech.<\/p>\n “\u2026AND SO IT BEGINS!” the president wrote.<\/a><\/p>\n After months of recrimination, the stage was set for a potentially explosive meeting when Mamdani went to visit Trump in the White House following his victory.<\/p>\n What followed was a surprising display of comity.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI expect to be helping him, not hurting him \u2013 a big help,\u201d Trump said. \u201cbecause I want New York City to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump patted Mamdani on the arm at one point and repeatedly patted his hand. Mamdani talked about working with Trump to address New York City\u2019s affordability issues, and referenced how well he did in the city during the 2024 election as<\/strong> a Republican.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers,\u201d Mamdani said.<\/p>\n Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas<\/a>, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy<\/a>, Joey Garrison<\/a>, Bart Jansen<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dec. 31, 2025, 12:00 p.m. ET It was a New York City-sized feud \u2013 two Queens guys who figured they knew what was best for the Big Apple, verbally duking it out, one from the White House and the other from the mayoral campaign trail. Long before he became mayor–elect of America\u2019s largest city, Zohran […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8783\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"President](\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/12\/30\/USAT\/87964595007-trump-mamdani-wh-pic-2.JPG?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/figure>\nJune: \u2018Big moment\u2019: Trump slams Mamdani after primary win<\/h2>\n
![\"President](\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/12\/30\/USAT\/87964642007-trump-close-up.JPG?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/figure>\nJuly: Trump threatens Mamdani with arrest, questions his citizenship<\/h2>\n
![\"President](\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/12\/30\/USAT\/87964741007-trump-alligator-alcatraz.JPG?width=660&height=496&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/figure>\nMid-September: Trump threatens New York\u2019s federal funding<\/h2>\n
Late September: Mamdani good for Republicans, Trump says<\/h2>\n
October: Mamdani promises to ‘take on Trump’<\/h2>\n
![\"Democratic](\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/12\/30\/USAT\/87964747007-mamdani-debate-pic.JPG?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/figure>\nElection eve, November: Trump calls Mamdani a \u201cJEW HATER\u201d<\/h2>\n
Election night, November: ‘Turn up the volume,’ Mamdani taunts Trump on election night<\/h2>\n
![\"Democratic](\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/12\/30\/USAT\/87964618007-mamdani-election-night.JPG?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/figure>\nTwo weeks later, still November: White House love fest<\/h2>\n
![\"President](\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/12\/30\/USAT\/87964603007-trump-mamdani-wh-pic.JPG?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/figure>\n