Zohran Mamdani Had Four Feisty Words For Donald Trump After NYC Election Win

On Nov. 4, 2025, Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York City — and if there's one person we doubt was happy about it, it's President Donald Trump. As Mamdani gained ground in his campaign, particularly among young adults in both New York itself and the U.S. at large, he also made quick work of getting under Trump's skin. The president even went as far as to threaten to cut federal funding to NYC if Mamdani was elected (per Reuters). For his part, Mamdani opted to take the high road, jokingly referring to Trump as a "dear friend" of his during a cheeky appearance on "The View" a month before election day. And when he ultimately claimed victory, Mamdani made it clear that he wouldn't be backing down, sharing four feisty words for Trump.

"Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up," Mamdani said during his victory speech (via AP News), seemingly alluding to the fervent support he's amassed in what is essentially Trump's own backyard. On that note, Mamdani added, "If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it's the city that gave rise to him." Indeed, there are some similarities in Trump and Mamdani's respective backgrounds. Trump was born and raised in an affluent part of Queens, New York. Mamdani was born in Uganda, though moved to Manhattan at age 7, telling the New York Times in June 2025 that he had a "privileged" upbringing there. However, he also recognized that not all New Yorkers were as fortunate as him. To that end, Mamdani told the NY Times that the most important aspect of his campaign was not his opposition to Trump, but his goal of making NYC more affordable.

Of course, Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York City's mayoral race was far from the only reason Donald Trump wasn't happy about the results of the November 2025 U.S elections. In general, the night was seen as a massive win for Trump's adversaries across the country. On the same night voters chose Mamdani as NYC's new mayor, Democrat Mikie Sherrill became governor-elect of New Jersey, while partymate Abigail Spanberger became the first woman to be elected governor of Virginia. On the opposite coast, Californians voted in favor of Proposition 50, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom's response to redistricting efforts in GOP-controlled states.

In response to this, Trump launched into one of his famous, all-caps social media rants, writing, "'TRUMP WASN'T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,' according to Pollsters" (via ABC News). The president elaborated on his thoughts during a speech in Miami, Florida the day after the elections. "We lost a little bit of sovereignty last night in New York, but we'll take care of it. Don't worry about it," he said (via CNBC), seemingly annoyed that his half-hearted endorsement of Mamdani's main opponent, Andrew Cuomo, failed to turn the tide.

Still, Trump also admitted that he wasn't particularly surprised by the election results. "Last night, it was, you know, not expected to be a victory, it was very Democrat areas, but I don't think it was good for Republicans. ... But we had an interesting evening, and we learned a lot, and we're going to talk about that," he added. As CNBC notes, however, both Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson attempted to downplay the elections and their potential future implications in more blunt terms.