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Mamdani likely to become NY mayor unless rivals quit: Trump
The 33-year-old democratic socialist has surged ahead in polls and fundraising, unsettling both Democratic rivals and Trump allies.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 05, Sep 2025
- 15:54 EDT
- 26
Zohran Mamdani won the New York City Democratic mayoral primary on June 24, 2025 / Vincent Alban/Pool via REUTERS
President Donald Trump on Sept. 4 said he believes Democrat Zohran Mamdani is likely to become New York City’s next mayor unless two of the three major candidates opposing him withdraw from the race.
“I don’t think you can win unless you have one-on-one, and somehow he’s gotten a little bit of a lead. I have no idea how that happened,” Trump told reporters while hosting a dinner at the White House with tech executives. He added, “I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one-on-one (with Mamdani), and I think that’s a race that could be won.”
Also Read: Mamdani holds strong lead in NYC Mayoral race, poll shows
Enough with the backroom scheming.
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) September 4, 2025
If @realDonaldTrump is serious about intervening in the mayoral race, he should come to New York City and debate me directly. https://t.co/bdKrs9PWOJ
Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, has been the presumptive frontrunner since defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary in June. Cuomo remains on the ballot as an independent, alongside incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, also running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels crime patrol.
Cuomo on Sept. 4 urged Adams to bow out. “If Mamdani is the existential threat, if you believe that, then at a point you should defer to the strongest candidates,” Cuomo said.
Adams, who met with Trump envoy and former developer Steve Witkoff during a Florida trip, acknowledged speaking with “several political figures” but has repeatedly rejected suggestions he would step aside.
“No pressure, no diamonds,” Adams told reporters Sept. 4, after securing an endorsement from Muslim community leaders. “Just because people yell at you and call your names, and just because a number of people ask you to step down or don’t do what you believe, you’re supposed to succumb to that? That’s not what I do.”
Adams’ candidacy has been marred by an indictment on corruption charges last year, later dropped by the Justice Department to enable his cooperation with Trump’s immigration crackdown. His growing ties with Trump have fueled criticism within the Democratic Party.
Meanwhile, a recent AARP New York–Gotham poll shows Mamdani leading the field with 41.8 percent support and maintaining his edge even in one-on-one scenarios with leading contenders. The same poll also highlights voter frustration, with only 9.2 percent saying the city is on the right track and more than half, 52.7 percent, believing it is headed in the wrong direction.
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