Trump Tells Zohran Mamdani to 'Respect Washington' if He Wants to Succeed

November 6, 2025 | 02:35 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Donald Trump said he is willing to assist New York’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, but cautioned that the young politician must “show respect” to Washington if he hopes to succeed.

According to Al Jazeera, Trump made the remarks on Wednesday, November 5, shortly after Mamdani announced his transition team. The 32-year-old made history as New York City’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor.

“He has to be a little bit respectful of Washington, because if he’s not, he doesn’t have a chance of succeeding,” Trump told Fox News host Bret Baier. “And I want to make him succeed. I want to make the city succeed,” he added.

Trump Labels Mamdani a Communist

Earlier that day, Trump criticized Mamdani’s left-leaning ideology during a speech at the American Business Forum in Miami, Florida.

“The communists, Marxists, and globalists had their chance, and they delivered nothing but disaster, and now let’s see how a communist does in New York. We’re going to see how that works out,” Trump said. 

He went on to say that his administration would provide limited support to Mamdani’s incoming government. “We’ll help him, we’ll help him. We want New York to be successful. We’ll help him a little bit, maybe,” Trump said.

Throughout the mayoral campaign, Trump frequently targeted Mamdani, calling him a “communist lunatic” and threatening to cut federal funding to New York City if Mamdani won.

A Historic Win for Mamdani

As reported by NDTV, Mamdani celebrated a historic victory in the mayoral election, thanking New Yorkers for electing him as the city’s first Muslim and Indian-origin mayor—and its youngest ever.

“Thank you to the next generation of New Yorkers who refuse to accept that the promise of a better future was a relic of the past,” Mamdani said in his victory speech.

“You showed that when politics speaks to you without condescension, we can usher in a new era of leadership. We will fight for you, because we are you.”

In a message directed at Trump, Mamdani quipped, “So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.”

He continued, “To reach us, you’ll have to go through all of us. If there’s one city that can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it’s the city that gave birth to him.”

Mamdani’s Policy Agenda

In his first policy address, delivered last Wednesday, Mamdani reaffirmed his willingness to engage in dialogue with the Trump administration while remaining firm in his criticism.

“I will continue to describe his actions as they are, and I will also always do so while leaving a door open to have that conversation,” he said.

A self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani has pledged to introduce sweeping social programs, including free childcare, zero-fare public buses, and publicly owned grocery stores. He is set to take office on January 1 next year.

Editor’s Choice: 5 Facts About Rama Duwaji, the First Gen Z Spouse of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani

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