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President Donald Trump is confident that democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani would “crush” New York City if he is elected mayor, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says.
Leavitt made the statement during a Monday press briefing while fielding multiple questions from reporters about Mamdani’s victory in the democratic mayoral primary.
Fox News’ White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Leavitt about recent calls for Mamdani to be deported, citing calls from one lawmaker who said Mamdani should be denaturalized.
“I haven’t heard him say that. I haven’t heard him call for that. But certainly he does not want this individual to be elected. I was just speaking to him about it and [Mamdani’s] radical policies that will completely crush New York City, which is obviously a city that the president holds near and dear to his heart,” Leavitt responded.
HAKEEM JEFFRIES SAYS NYC HOPEFUL MAMDANI NEEDS TO ‘CLARIFY’ HIS POSITION ON ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says Trump has not called for Zohran Mamdani to be deported. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Leavitt went on to say that Trump would be willing to work with Mamdani if he is elected, though she predicted that the relationship would be difficult.
“Look, the president is always willing to work with everyone. He’s working with Democrats across the country, Democrat governors. And he said he’ll work with people on the far left. He works with Republicans. He works with people in the middle. He wants to do what’s right for America,” Leavitt said.
“But surely someone who holds these values and is quite literally a communist and condemns every value that makes this country great: common sense, law and order, low taxes, working hard, and earning your keep in this country. He’s against all of that. And I think the president would find it difficult to work with someone like that, if he is elected. I’m sure you’ll hear more from the president on that, but we’ll have to see. Hopefully, the voters of New York City choose wisely,” she finished.
Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate, left, raises hands with Reverend Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, during a campaign event at the NAN House of Justice in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, US, on Saturday, June 28, 2025. (Bloomberg)
Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, defeated establishment favorite and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and a crowded field of other candidates, in the Democratic mayoral primary last week.
Liberal podcast host Donny Deutsch called out Mamdani on Monday for refusing to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” during an appearance on MSNBC.
“I’m outraged that we have a candidate for mayor of New York, Mr. Mamdani, that cannot walk back or cannot condemn the words ‘globalize the intifada’ and his nuance of, ‘Well, it means different things for different people.’ Well, let me tell you what it means to a Jew — it means violence,” Deutsch said, citing the October 7 terrorist attacks, as well as the Boulder, Colorado, attacks.
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND URGES ZOHRAN MAMDANI TO DENOUNCE ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ RHETORIC
The White House says Trump would try to work with Zohran Mamdani if he is elected mayor of New York City. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)
“That’s the connotation. That’s the essence of it, and that’s what it means to Jewish people. And if any other group came forward and said, ‘You know these words are offensive to us. It means violence. It frightens us,’ I think there would be a response, but for some reason, if Jewish people find it offensive, it’s not offensive,” Deutsch continued.
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Mamdani had several opportunities to condemn the “globalize the intifada” phrase during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, but he refused.
Fox News’ Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
