Politics Trump says Mamdani must ‘do the right thing’ if elected mayor of New York City — or risk losing funding

CNBC.com ^ | Sun, Jun 29 2025•12:44 PM EDT | Erin Doherty

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Key Points

• President Donald Trump said that Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has to “do the right thing” if he’s elected, “or they’re not getting any money.”

• “Whoever’s mayor of New York is going to have to behave themselves, or the federal government is coming down very tough on them financially,” Trump said.

• Trump has previously threatened to cut funding for Democratic-led cities and states whose policies he disagrees with.

President Donald Trump said that Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani has “to do the right thing” if he is elected mayor of New York City, or he could see federal funding dry up.

“Let’s say this, if he does get in, I’m going to be president and he’s going to have to do the right thing, or they’re not getting any money,” Trump told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo during an interview that aired Sunday.

“He’s got to do the right thing,” Trump said.

It’s not the first time that Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding for local politicians, particularly those in blue states, whose positions he opposes.

He’s previously threatened to strip federal funding from California over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s policies towards transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.

While Trump took particular aim at Mamdani, the 33-year-old who defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the first round of the city’s Democratic mayoral primary last week, he also made a wider funding threat to all New York City mayoral candidates.

“I can tell you this, whoever’s mayor of New York is going to have to behave themselves, or the federal government is coming down very tough on them financially,” Trump told Bartiromo.

Trump has repeatedly called Mamdani — who is a Democratic socialist — a communist, as he did during the interview on...

---

TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: curtissliwa; kathyhochul; newyorkcity; zohranmamdani

[A Navy Vet]

I believe this is a losing battle for Trump since SO many New Yorkers are looking forward to all the free stuff.

[ClearCase_guy]

Hard to pay for all the free stuff if the federal government tells NYC to Drop Dead. It’s been done before.

[Texas Eagle]

There should be no such thing as federal funding. 😒

Let New York sink or swim using its own money.

[butlerweave]

islam will come first second etc etc etc and last

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I believe this is a losing battle for Trump since SO many New Yorkers are looking forward to all the free stuff.

Heh! 🤡

[butlerweave]

If Mamdani wins he’ll crown himself Supreme Leader of NYC

[dljordan]

He must do the tight thing and leave the country.

[Mark17]

I like that option the best. 👍

[doc maverick]

LOL!
Supreme leader of a new cesspool.
Just like Portland, OR and Seattle, WA.
Democrats and their muslim, socialist friends shiite on everything they gain control over and it’s usually by voter fraud whether it be mail in or ranked choice voting.
Then the rich dems move out of the soiled cities and leave their voters to sit in a sludge bucket city where no stores or businesses remain.

[GaltAdonis]

Manhattan will capsize in the soiled sludge bucket. And I don’t care.

[thegagline]

It’s all fun and games until a Democrat President uses the same truncheon against state and local Republican politicians.

[bunkerhill7]

Can I become a mayor in Saudi Arabia?

[bunkerhill7]

Everybody upstate knows NY City votes are all rigged. They knew this even 75 years ago.

[bunkerhill7]

90% of NY State is Republican and the legislature in Albany is ruled by NY city Democrats. They are all crooked.

[PGR88]

Let New York sink or swim using its own money.

$37 Trillion in printed-fiat money Fed.gov debt went somewhere, and that was Uncle Sam propping up blue cities' welfare, their political systems, and 1000 woke social-engineering schemes.

[beef]

I hope the muslim guy wins. Sometimes, things have to get worse before they can get better. I can’t wait to see what they do when the first miscreant arrives at The People’s Grocery Store, sweeps armloads of stuff (all likely high-end organic) into a garbage bag, and then strolls out.

[LittleBillyInfidel]

This dopey eyed, fake smiling, plastic rizz homo will not care, Mr President.

[LittleBillyInfidel]

I hope the muslim guy wins. Sometimes, things have to get worse before they can get better. I can’t wait to see what they do when the first miscreant arrives at The People’s Grocery Store, sweeps armloads of stuff (all likely high-end organic) into a garbage bag, and then strolls out.

THIS! ^^^^ Had the exact thought, two weeks ago. It's so obvious to those who can successfully add 2+2.

[frog in a pot]

Just like Portland, OR and Seattle, WA....the rich...move out of the soiled cities and leave their voters to sit in a sludge bucket city where no stores or businesses remain

That is the goal, to drive out the R's or destroy the city, but they can't just come out and say it.

It is the "remaking America" program crafted by the folks who put Obama in office.