Michael Goodwin criticizes Mamdani's New York City borough tour, suggesting it reeks of inexperience due to its harsh attacks on Trump.
In the race for New York's mayoralty, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is making waves with his platform centred around affordability and wealth distribution. Despite being branded a "communist" by President Trump, Mamdani's supporters remain steadfast in their backing.
Mamdani, who recently secured a primary victory, has been labelled a "communist lunatic" by Trump. However, Mamdani and his supporters reject this label, emphasising their focus on making New York more affordable and redistributing wealth more fairly. They view this as a broader vision for affordability and social justice, which resonates significantly with voters.
When asked about the communist label, Mamdani referenced democratic socialism as a framework for his policies, citing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on wealth distribution. Trump's attacks seem to be viewed by Mamdani's campaign and supporters as political rhetoric rather than a substantive threat to Mamdani’s momentum in the race.
In his campaign, Mamdani has accused President Trump of kicking over a million New Yorkers off Medicaid, cutting funding for food stamps, and slashing funding for housing programs. He has also criticised Trump's federalising of policing in the nation's capital and mobilisation of the National Guard.
However, Mamdani's approach of attacking Trump to score political points could potentially hinder the next mayor from receiving federal help. New York's law enforcement relies heavily on federal financial aid and operational support. Trump has expressed a desire to help his hometown and state, but the situation is different due to the NYPD's record-low numbers of shootings.
Meanwhile, Mamdani's rivals in the race have denied any close ties to Trump. The federal government holds the purse strings and can offer help in areas such as housing, education, health care, mass transit, highways, bridges, airports, tunnels, prisons, borders, tax policies on nonprofits, and the overall economy. It is considered malpractice for a mayor or governor to spurn the president and the federal government over partisan differences.
Despite this, Democrats, including Sen. Schumer, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, and Gov. Hochul, prefer to demonise Trump instead of acknowledging the tax cut benefits New Yorkers. Hochul, in particular, has admitted that high taxes already drive New Yorkers to Florida.
Mamdani plans to mostly ignore his three main rivals and save his firepower for Trump. His strategy appears to be paying off, as his supporters remain largely unfazed by Trump's labeling of Mamdani as a "communist" and continue to back Mamdani's platform focused on affordability and wealth distribution.
[1] The New York Times
[2] The City
[3] Politico
- The ongoing dialogues between Mamdani and Trump surrounding policy-and-legislation, particularly on the topics of health care, housing, and taxation, are notable aspects of the general-news, promoted significantly in political discussions featured in The New York Times, The City, and Politico.
- Despite President Trump's attempts to discredit Mamdani's platform by labeling him a "communist," the focus on affordability and wealth distribution as advocated by Mamdani in his policy-and-legislation discussions is attracting substantial support among voters, as reported in The New York Times, The City, and Politico.
