New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has strongly responded to U.S. President Donald Trump&rsquo;s latest remarks, accusing Trump of stoking division and attempting to shift attention away from his own political agenda.
Although Trump did not directly name Mamdani in a July 2 post on Truth Social, he referred to a "Communist lunatic" candidate for NYC mayor &mdash; a phrase he has previously used to describe Mamdani. Speaking at a union event hosted by the New York Hotel and Trades Council, Mamdani addressed Trump&rsquo;s attack head-on.
&ldquo;Yesterday, Donald Trump said I should be arrested, deported, and denaturalized,&rdquo; Mamdani said. &ldquo;He made these comments about me &mdash; someone who could become New York&rsquo;s first immigrant mayor in generations, as well as its first Muslim and South Asian mayor &mdash; not because of who I am, but because of what I represent. I fight for working people, and that threatens him.&rdquo; <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GuzBk_TXkAAUBkd?format=jpg&amp;name=900x900" alt="Image" width="500" height="500"> 
Mamdani argued that Trump&rsquo;s comments are a deliberate distraction from the impact of policies being pushed in Washington, including what he called a &ldquo;big, beautiful&rdquo; tax bill that Mamdani claims would strip healthcare and food access from millions of Americans.
&ldquo;He would rather talk about me than acknowledge the harmful legislation he&rsquo;s supporting &mdash; laws that take from the poor and give to the rich,&rdquo; Mamdani added.
This isn&rsquo;t the first time Trump has targeted Mamdani. Since the election last week, Trump has publicly labeled him &ldquo;a 100% Communist Lunatic,&rdquo; insulted his intelligence, and mocked his speaking voice. On Tuesday, Trump suggested Mamdani should be arrested if he attempts to block federal immigration enforcement efforts. He also floated unfounded allegations regarding Mamdani&rsquo;s immigration status, saying, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to be watching that very carefully&hellip; A lot of people are saying he&rsquo;s here illegally. We&rsquo;re going to look at everything.&rdquo;
In response, Mamdani remained defiant: &ldquo;I will not be intimidated. I will fight back. Because what&rsquo;s at stake isn&rsquo;t just my campaign &mdash; it&rsquo;s the future of working people in this city.&rdquo;

US Prez Donald Trump; NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani

NYC mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani says Trump’s attacks are a distraction from anti-worker policies

Mamdani hits back at Trump’s “communist” jibe

NYC mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani says Trump’s attacks are a distraction from anti-worker policies

July 3, 2025 | 09:50 IST