Zohran Mamdani, the self-described Democratic socialist who won the New York City mayoral Democratic primary election in a surprising upset, fired back at President Donald Trump Tuesday following his threat to have him arrested, and potentially deported.
“The president of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported, not because I have broken any law but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorize our city,” Mamdani said in a statement.
“His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy, but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.”
In his recent victory speech last week, Mamdani pledged to, if ultimately elected in the general election come November, “stop ICE agents from deporting our neighbors.” This pledge has caught the ire of Trump, who earlier on Tuesday said he would be “watching over (Mamdani) very carefully.”
Trump also said that his administration would look into Mamdani’s immigration status, suggesting the mayoral hopeful was in the country illegally, citing claims from some Republican lawmakers that Mamdani, a naturalized U.S. citizen, may have lied during the naturalization process.
Specifically, some, like Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), have said pro-Palestinian lyrics to a rap song performed by Mamdani more than a decade ago may constitute providing support for terrorists, which must be disclosed during naturalization.
In his comments, Trump also heaped praise onto incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams, indicted on federal corruption charges including bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud, calling him a “very good person,” something Mamdani noted in his own response.
“That Trump included praise for Eric Adams in his authoritarian threats is unsurprising, but highlights the urgency of bringing an end to this mayor’s time in City Hall,” Mamdani said.
“At the very moment when MAGA Republicans are attempting to destroy the social safety net, kick millions of New Yorkers off of health care and enrich their billionaire donors at the expense of working families, it is a scandal that Eric Adams echoes this president’s division, distraction and hate.”