Former U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised New York City’s new mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, saying his victory speech was “very angry” and that he is “off to a bad start.”
Zohran Mamdani, 34, recently won the New York City mayoral election, becoming the city’s youngest and first Muslim and South Asian mayor. His win is seen as a major political change for New York City.
After watching Mamdani’s speech, Trump said that the comments seemed directed at him. He added, “I thought it was a very angry speech, certainly angry towards me. I think he should be very nice to me, so he’s off to a bad start.”
Trump also said that Mamdani should work well with the federal government, hinting that cooperation will be important for New York City’s funding and development projects.
In his victory speech, Mamdani had spoken directly to Trump, saying, “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you, turn the volume up.”
His speech focused on equality, better support for immigrants and workers, and reforms in housing and taxation.
The exchange between Trump and Mamdani has already created a political buzz in the U.S. Many people see it as the beginning of a tense relationship between New York City’s new leadership and the federal government.
Mamdani will take office early next year. Observers are waiting to see how he handles the city’s challenges and his relationship with Washington in the coming months.