(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump on Monday cautioned that federal funding for New York City could be drastically curtailed if Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, whom he called a “Communist,” wins the city’s mayoral election, according to reports.

"If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the Election for Mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home, because of the fact that, as a Communist, this once great City has zero chance of success, or even survival! It can only get worse with a Communist at the helm," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Mamdani, a New York State Assemblyman from Queens, has campaigned on housing reform, expanded public transit, and social welfare programs. While he identifies as a democratic socialist, he rejects the “Communist” label frequently used by conservative critics.

Trump’s remarks coincided with the final phase of the mayoral race, with over five million registered voters set to decide among Mamdani, former Governor Andrew Cuomo (running as an Independent), and Republican Curtis Sliwa. In his post, Trump appeared to endorse Cuomo while warning: "We must also remember this — A vote for Curtis Sliwa (who looks much better without the beret!) is a vote for Mamdani. Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!"

Separately, Trump appealed to voters in Virginia and New Jersey, urging support for Republican candidates and warning that Democrats would drive up energy costs: "Virginia and New Jersey, remember this: A vote for a Republican means substantially lower energy prices, a vote for a Democrat, especially these two losers who are running, means a doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling of your energy costs."

He also criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s policies, saying: "New York City is getting killed by her ridiculous congestion pricing, where people have to pay a fortune to come into Manhattan - So they just don’t come! The place is a ghost town," and added that he would ask Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to examine ending the congestion fee.

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