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Trump threatens to restrict federal funds for New York City if Mamdani wins
Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, arrives for a campaign event at a senior center in Manhattan's Lower East Side neighborhood of New York City, US, on October 31, 2025
Republican US President Donald Trump said on Monday he will restrict federal funds for New York City if Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, 34, wins the city's mayoral elections on Tuesday.
If Mamdani won the election, Trump said on Truth Social that "it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required."
Polls show Mamdani to be leading against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, who is running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who is the Republican nominee.
Despite their ideological differences, all three nominees have relentlessly focused on the cost of living, an issue that has remained top of mind for voters after last year's presidential election.
"Whether it's in New York City, whether it's in Virginia, whether it's in New Jersey - frankly, throughout the country - Democratic candidates are focused on the economy, focused on affordability, focused on the issues that are really driving anxiety in this country right now," Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee chairman, said in an interview with Reuters.
For Republicans, Tuesday's elections will test whether the voters who powered Trump's victory in 2024 will still show up when he is not on the ballot himself.
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