Zohran Mamdani isn’t backing down, even after the Oval Office itself set its sights on him. The 33-year-old Democratic Socialist from Queens exploded onto the national stage by toppling establishment favorite Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s mayoral primary. Now, fresh from his upset victory, Mamdani finds himself under fire from none other than Donald Trump.

Just last week, voters outside New York barely knew his name; today, Mamdani is celebrated as the progressive wave the Democratic Party has long awaited. Born in Uganda to Indian parents and naturalized in 2018, he’s championing bold, Sanders-style policies: a $30 minimum wage, free public buses, universal preschool, and steep taxes on the ultra-wealthy to fund it all. His rapid rise has unsettled both the party’s centrist wing and Trump’s camp.

On Truth Social, Trump blasted Mamdani as “a 100% Communist Lunatic,” then told Fox News that if Mamdani takes office, he’ll cut off federal funding unless the new mayor “does the right thing.” At a later event in Ochopee, Florida—where he toured the “Alligator Alcatraz” migrant detention center—Trump threatened, “If he stands in the way, we might have to arrest him,” and hinted at probing Mamdani’s citizenship despite his naturalization seven years ago.

Rather than flinch, Mamdani confronted these attacks head-on on NBC’s Meet the Press: “I’m used to hearing the president mock my accent, my faith, my background—anything to distract from the real fight: protecting working people from ICE raids and a billionaire-first agenda he claims to oppose.” He went further in a public statement: “The president just threatened to strip me of my citizenship, detain me, and deport me—not for any crime I’ve committed, but because I won’t let ICE terrorize our city.”

Mamdani insists these threats are meant for every New Yorker who dares to speak up. “This isn’t just personal—it’s an attempt to silence dissent across the country,” he warned, calling out both Trump and Mayor Eric Adams—who has echoed some of this rhetoric—for choosing division over unity at a time when millions face healthcare cuts and economic hardship.

With November looming, Mamdani’s supporters see his defiance as proof that bold progressive leadership can withstand even the fiercest attacks from the highest office. Whether these clashes will boost his momentum or derail his campaign remains to be seen—but the youngest major candidate in this race has made clear he won’t be bullied off the debate stage.

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