(MENAFN- Live Mint) Donald Trump, ahead of the New York mayoral elections, had warned voters that New Yorkers would 'pay' the price if Zohran Mamdani wins the elections. Mamdani, who the POTUS labelled as a“Communist,” however, scripted history by defeating Andrew Cuomo, whom both Trump, Elon Musk had supported.

Can Trump's 'threat' now turn into a reality? Following Mamdani's win, Trump posted a one line message on Truth Social,“...AND SO IT BEGINS!”

What was Trump's 'threat'?

Donald Trump had warned that if Mamdani is elected the New York mayor, it is highly unlikely that he will contribute Federal Funds,“other than the very minimum as required.”

“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,” Trump had said in a post on Truth Social.“I don't want to send, as President, good money after bad.”

Can Donald Trump cut funds for NYC?

The President of the United States does not directly determine much money a city receives from the federal government - that power lies with Congress, which is responsible for approving spending. How those funds are used, or withheld – a practice known as“impoundment" –which is illegal under federal law, is guided by the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.

The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is the main legal mechanism for the President to seek to delay or permanently cancel federal funding once it has been enacted by Congress.

What has happened so far?

According to a report by The Guardian, Trump administration had already begun acting on its threats even before the election results were announced.

Earlier this year, the White House clashed with New York State over its plan to introduce congestion pricing for cars - a dispute Trump referred to again in a Truth Social post on Monday night.

Amid the ongoing government shutdown, the White House also withheld $18 billion in funding for a tunnel project. In another case, a federal judge ordered the government to restore about $34 million in counterterrorism funding for New York City, calling the cuts“arbitrary, capricious and a blatant violation of the law”.

What did Zohran Mamdani say about NYC funds?

On Monday, Mamdani responded publicly to Trump's remarks at a campaign event in Astoria - noting he would“address that threat for what it is -it is a threat. It is not the law."

“And too often, we treat everything that comes out of Donald Trump's mouth as if it is already legal, just by virtue of who is saying it.”

He later added,“This funding is not something that Donald Trump is giving us here in New York City. This is something that we are, in fact, owed in New York.”

More about Zohran Mamdani, his wife & family

Born in 1991 in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar Mahmood Mamdani. He is married to Rama Duwaji, a Brooklyn-based Syrian-American artist, who met the newly elected New York Mayor on Hinge.

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