(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump has publicly relished positioning New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a foil, labelling him a communist, mocking the name of the first Muslim and South Asian to lead America's largest city, and threatening to cut federal funding for New York City.

According to a report by The New York Times, Trump has also claimed that he is“much better looking” than the 34-year-old Mamdani.

But privately, the US President has referred to Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, as a talented politician, calling him“slick” and“a good talker,” according to two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to the NYT.

Despite the grudging praise, the two appear set for a confrontation, with the young democratic socialist facing a president who has already treated him as a convenient foil.

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Just hours after Mamdani's unexpected victory, Trump called Democrats“crazy” and said Mamdani was“crazy, or whatever the hell his name is”.

Enemies with“benefits”

In his victory speech, Mamdani said,“Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you - turn the volume up!” drawing huge cheers from the crowd.

Trump and Mamdani share, at least in part, an“enemies with benefits” dynamic.

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During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani used Trump as a bogeyman, accusing him of“fascism” and likening the billionaire developer to landlords he claims are exploiting New Yorkers.

He has also smartly framed himself as part of the resistance against a president who has stretched his power to the limits and deployed the National Guard in Democrat-run cities.

At his victory rally, Mamdani declared,“To get to any of us, you will have to go through all of us.”

As Republicans nursed their wounds from defeats in New York, Virginia and New Jersey, Trump said in a speech in Miami on Wednesday that Americans now faced a“choice between communism and common sense.”

Trump also blew a dog whistle to the hard right.

“Mandami, whatever the hell his name is,” Trump said in the same speech -- deliberately mispronouncing Ugandan-born Mamdani's surname in the same way he did with his 2024 election rival Kamala Harris.

Trump threatens AGAIN?

Trump has repeatedly threatened to target New York, his cherished home city, federally, similar to his previous threats against Los Angeles and Chicago.

“If he is a communist, there's not going to be a lot of activity,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday.“So you wouldn't need bridges and tunnels and all the different things that were being planned for New York.”

Some allies, meanwhile, fear Trump could be playing with fire by focusing on a man whose rise was propelled by the affordability crisis that is now hurting Republicans in the polls, AFP reported.

"There should be flashing red lights all over" for Trump, former White House strategy guru Steve Bannon told Politico.“People better understand they have a fight on their hands. This guy is a serious guy.”

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New York City, which has the largest Jewish population outside Israel, has raised concerns over Mamdani's stance, as he has faced criticism for his reluctance to condemn the phrase“globalise the Intifada” and for not explicitly recognising Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.

Amid rising antisemitic incidents in the city, community leaders have voiced their worries. The mayor-elect, however, has condemned antisemitic violence and pledged to protect the Jewish community.

(With inputs from agencies)

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