Zohran Mamdani Set To Be New York's Next Mayor? Donald Trump Makes BOLD Claim About Democrat Candidate

(MENAFN- Live Mint) President Donald Trump has said that he thinks Democrat Zohran Mamdani is likely to become New York City's next mayor unless two of the three major candidates running against him drop out of the race. But President Trump did not specify which two candidates he would want to see quit.

“I do not think you can win unless you have one-on-one, and somehow he has gotten a little bit of a lead,” Trump told reporters of Zohran Mamdani on Thursday night (US Time), news agency AP reported.

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Trump said he had not encouraged any of the candidates in the race to drop out but would like to see that happen, though.

“I have no idea how that happened,” the Republican said, speaking with reporters on the sidelines of dinner at the White House that he hosted for tech executives.

“I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one-on-one, and I think that's a race that could be won.”

Who is Zohran Mamdani?

Born in Kampala, Uganda, Zohran moved to New York City at age 7. He's the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. After becoming a US citizen and graduating from college, he helped found his university's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter - signalling early political engagement that would later shape his platform.

Elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, Mamdani represents parts of Queens and is best known legislatively for championing a pilot program offering free city buses.

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Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, has emerged as a frontrunner in the Mayor's race since beating former Governor Andrew Cuom in the Democratic primary in June. But Cuomo is still on the ballot as an independent, along with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams. Joining those three Democrats in the field is Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group.

Trump helping Cuomo: Mamdani

On 3 September, Mamdani accused Mayor Eric Adams of working with the Trump administration against him. Mamdani claimed that President Trump has discussed offering New York City Mayor Eric Adams a position to help former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, in the general election for mayor of New York City.

AP, quoting people familiar with those conversations, said recently that Trump's intermediaries reached out to people close to Adams to discuss whether he would consider abandoning his reelection campaign to take a federal job.

At a news conference Thursday, Cuomo called on Adams to drop out.“If Mamdani is the existential threat, if you believe that, then at a point you should defer to the strongest candidates,” Cuomo said.

Sliwa, meanwhile, has cast himself as the best candidate to take on Mamdani.

“The assumption here is that Eric Adams ' voters, if he does drop out, are all going to jump to Cuomo. That ain't happening,” Sliwa said in an interview.

“There's a lot of anger toward Cuomo. They have been going back and forth like two scorpions in a brandy glass.”

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Sliwa added that he also isn't quitting, and said no one from the Trump administration had reached out yet to urge him to do so.

I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one-on-one, and I think that's a race that could be won.

“I can assure you for 9,852th time in this campaign I've had to answer this: I'm not dropping out. I'm in it until November 4,” he said.“I don't care if people drop out. I'd encourage them to stay in. Let the people decide. That's what democracy is about, a vote.”

(With AP inputs)

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