US President Donald Trump on Thursday New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's Democratic mayoral primary win, saying the Democrats have crossed a line.
In a truth social post, Trump described Mamdani as a "100% Communist Lunatic", saying him being on his way to become mayor was ridiculous.
"He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him," a part of Trump's Truth Social post read.
Zohran Mamdani, son of Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair, is a 33-year-old self-declared socialist who is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America party.
His New York mayoral candidature is seen as crucial for the future of the Democratic Party.
If Zohran Mamdani wins, he would be New York's first Muslim mayor. He seems poised to be holding the post, and his rival former New York governor Andrew Cuomo has already conceded defeat.
"Tonight we made history," Mamdani said in his Democratic mayoral primary victory speech to supporters. Notably, after Trump slammed Mamdani on Truth Social, he sarcastically wrote at the end, "Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!"
{{/usCountry}}"Tonight we made history," Mamdani said in his Democratic mayoral primary victory speech to supporters. Notably, after Trump slammed Mamdani on Truth Social, he sarcastically wrote at the end, "Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!"
{{/usCountry}}A lot of Zohran Mamdani's beliefs do not align with Donald Trump's. The Ugandan-born state assembly man has time and again criticised Israel and PM Benjamin Netanyahu and has been vocal in his support for Palestinians.
67-year-old Andrew Cuomo, considered Mamdani's biggest rival in the New York mayoral race, is a former governor and a son of one.
While he had big money and popularity riding behind him, his past is marred with a sexual harassment scandal from four years ago. His New York mayoral poll race was an attempt to rebound from it.
However, Cuomo's vote share stood at only 36 per cent from 95 percent of ballots counted according to officials, behind from Mamdani's 43 per cent. Cuomo later said he called his rival to concede.
Public reception of Mamdani’s candidacy
While many have hailed Zohran Mamdani's candidature, his Democratic mayoral primary win has brought some fissures amidst the Democrats to surface.
The concerns raised by Lawrence Summers, the Treasury Secretary under former Democratic President Barack Obama, were not too different from Trump's jabs at Mamdani.
“I am profoundly alarmed about the future of the (Democratic Party) and the country” because of the New York City results, Summers wrote.
However, many Democrats have also praised Zohran Mamdani, whose mayoral campaign largely focusses on bringing down the cost of living in New York.
“In many ways, Mamdani’s campaign really shows the direction in which the Democratic Party should be moving. And that is not to worry about what billionaires want, but to worry about what working-class people want,” Bernie Sanders told The Associated Press.
Sanders also slammed Mamdani's critics within the Democrats and warned Republicans that Zohran Mamdani could be their worst nightmare.