Zoran Mamdani vowed to resist pressure from the Trump administration in his first news conference since winning Tuesday's mayoral election.
The 34-year-old announced his transition team and said he would fight the “twin crises” of “an authoritarian administration and an affordability crisis.”
Trump called the elected mayor a communist, a label Mamdani rejects, and implied that the administration would refuse federal funding to New York City. if he won.
The president hinted at a new political rivalry on election night, writing “AND SO IT BEGINS!” on his Truth Social account shortly after Mamdani's victory.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Trump said Mamdani has a “pretty wide open window” in the race because of weak opponents. The president said he was “torn” by the victory and criticized Mamdani's victory speech, describing the mayor-elect as “very angry” with him and saying he was “off to a bad start.”
“He has to have some respect for Washington because otherwise he has no chance of success,” Trump said. “And I want him to succeed. I want the city to succeed. I don't want him to succeed. I want the city to succeed.”
Trump has called Mamdani “extreme,” and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has said his party will tie Democrats to Mamdani's policies in next year's midterm elections.
Mamdani is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist. It is not clearly defined, but essentially means giving voting rights to workers rather than corporations. Mamdani promised to tax millionaires so they could pay for expanded social programs.
“I hope it works for New York,” Trump said of Mamdani on Wednesday. “Maybe we can help him a little.”
In his election night speech, Mamdani addressed Trump directly, asking him to “turn up the volume” on his television to hear the enthusiasm of his supporters.
In his speech Wednesday, he spoke about the president again, saying he would not “mince his words” when it comes to Trump. But he also acknowledged that he would always leave the “door open” to negotiate with the Trump administration and discuss its priorities, such as lowering the cost of living.
In both his victory speech and his first news conference, Mamdani detailed his plans to deliver on signature campaign promises such as free buses and a cost freeze on rent-stabilized apartments.
Mamdani named several members of his transition team: Lina Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission; Elana Leopold, who worked for former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio; and Maria Torres-Springer, former deputy mayor in the outgoing Eric Adams administration.
They will be tasked with helping Mamdani shape his administration ahead of his inauguration on January 1, 2026.
Mamdani also confirmed that he will retain Jessica Tisch as commissioner of the New York Police Department after he faced questions about his public safety program throughout the campaign.
“My job will be to protect the city and also make sure that we don't look at Washington as if it's the cause of all the problems here in New York,” Mamdani said.
The dynamics of the relationship with Trump will likely depend on Mamdani's transition to power and the first months of his rule. He will be sworn in as mayor on January 1. Mamdani will also likely have to manage Trump's ongoing immigration enforcement operations in the city.
“I think his threats are imminent,” Mamdani told ABC News on Wednesday.
“I look forward to demonstrating the power of example here in New York, an example of what it means to not just diagnose the despair in working people's lives as a cost-of-living crisis, but to make it a reality,” Mamdani said. “And that’s the contrast between me and President Trump.”
