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Trump questions Mamdani’s citizenship after NYC mayoral primary win
By
Phil Corso
Published Jul 1, 2025
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ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
By
Phil Corso
Published Jul 1, 2025
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday cast doubt on the citizenship of Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani and accused him of being a “communist,” on the same day that Mamdani officially secured the party’s nomination.
Speaking at a press event in Collier County, Florida, Trump said, “We’re gonna be watching that very carefully. A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally. … Right now, he’s a communist. That’s not a socialist.”
Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblymember from Queens, was born in Uganda but moved to the United States at age 7 and became a US Citizen in 2018, according to his state Assembly biography.
Trump then turned his attention to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Mamdani ally, saying, “She’s out there with her bad IQ … ranting and raving about how wonderful he is.”
The congressmember's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mamdani won the Democratic primary Tuesday after ranked-choice tallies showed him defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by a 12-point margin. He is the city’s first democratic socialist nominee for mayor.
Mamdani fired back on X.
“[Trump's] 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,” he said. "We will not accept this intimidation."
Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, also came up in Trump’s remarks.
The president claimed he had “helped [Adams] out a little bit” and called him a “very good person.” Federal charges against Adams tied to a bribery and straw donor scheme were dropped earlier this year at the request of Trump’s Department of Justice.
A spokesperson for Adams did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also weighed in Tuesday.
“I don't care if you're the President of the United States, if you threaten to unlawfully go after one of our neighbors, you're picking a fight with 20 million New Yorkers — starting with me,” she posted on X.
Mamdani will face Adams, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and independent candidates attorney Jim Walden and Cuomo in November.
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Politics
new york city
Phil Corso
Phil Corso is the evening news editor at WNYC/Gothamist. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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