By: Tzirel Rosenblatt

President Donald Trump issued an extraordinary rebuke early Monday morning after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul formally endorsed far-left Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, a move The New York Post described in a report on Monday as a bombshell development that has roiled the state’s political landscape.

In a fiery post to his social media platform, Trump accused Hochul of throwing her support behind “the ‘Liddle Communist,’ Zohran Mamdani,” and warned that the endorsement could jeopardize billions in federal dollars earmarked for the Empire State.

“Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has Endorsed [sic] the ‘Liddle Communist,’ Zohran Mamdani, running for Mayor of New York,” the president declared. “This is a rather shocking development, and a very bad one for New York City. How can such a thing happen? Washington will be watching this situation very closely. No reason to be sending good money after bad!”

The president’s stinging remarks called attention to what The New York Post has consistently highlighted throughout this campaign: Mamdani’s rise from relative obscurity to Democratic nominee has shaken not only the party establishment but also investors, business leaders, and ordinary residents worried about the city’s stability.

Hochul’s decision, first revealed by The New York Post late Sunday evening, marked a dramatic reversal from her previous neutrality in the bruising four-way mayoral contest. For months, the governor had carefully avoided weighing in, wary of alienating centrist Democrats and suburban voters who view Mamdani’s Democratic Socialists of America affiliation as toxic.

But Hochul laid out her rationale in a New York Times guest essay, where she insisted that, despite “frank conversations” and “disagreements” with Mamdani, she came away convinced that the 32-year-old Queens lawmaker was “focused on making New York City affordable” and shared her “commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods.”

For Mamdani, the endorsement was a breakthrough moment. As The Post reported, he has struggled to win over key establishment Democrats despite his surprise primary victory in June. State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have thus far withheld their endorsements, calculating whether aligning with a DSA standard-bearer is worth the political risk.

Hochul’s imprimatur could provide those hesitant leaders the political cover they need to follow suit. But it also exposes her to significant blowback from moderates, Republicans, and, now, the president of the United States.

Trump’s threat to cut federal funding was as pointed as it was unprecedented. By linking federal dollars to the governor’s political endorsement, the president signaled that he views Mamdani not merely as a local figure but as a symbol of the socialist surge threatening to destabilize America’s largest city.

As The Post report emphasized, Trump’s critique reflects widespread concern that Mamdani’s policy platform—rooted in calls to defund police units, expand socialized housing, and embrace boycotts of Israel—would accelerate New York’s decline and weaken its ability to recover from years of pandemic, crime, and economic strain.

Just days earlier, Trump had told Fox & Friends that Mamdani appeared poised for victory against ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. “I’m not looking at the polls too carefully, but it would look like he’s going to win,” Trump mused. “And that’s a rebellion.”

Now, with Hochul’s stamp of approval, Trump suggested the rebellion has gone mainstream—and that Washington may respond with fiscal consequences.

Political insiders interviewed by The New York Post described Hochul’s move as a high-stakes gamble. For one, it could strengthen her ties with the progressive left ahead of her own re-election campaign next year, insulating her against a primary challenge from within her party. But it also risks alienating the suburban voters she desperately needs to offset Republican gains in Nassau, Suffolk, and upstate counties.

As one Democratic strategist told The Post, “She’s terrified of being primaried from the left. But this endorsement could be a gift to Republicans who will now paint her as complicit in Mamdani’s radical agenda.”

Indeed, GOP officials wasted no time. Curtis Sliwa’s campaign blasted Hochul’s endorsement as proof that Democrats have abandoned mainstream New Yorkers. “The worst governor in America just endorsed the worst candidate for mayor. They deserve each other,” a campaign spokesperson quipped.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was even harsher, declaring that Hochul’s embrace of Mamdani was “a betrayal of all the freedom-loving residents of New York State.” He added that his late World War II veteran parents “would be embarrassed to have a Governor of their state embrace such an anti-American candidate.”

Behind Hochul’s decision, many see another calculation: undermining her old rival Andrew Cuomo. The former governor, who entered the mayoral race as an independent after Mamdani’s shock primary victory, has been hoping to capitalize on Jewish and moderate backlash to Mamdani’s anti-Israel rhetoric.

As The Post report noted, Hochul has no interest in seeing Cuomo back in City Hall, particularly as she faces her own re-election fight in 2026. By boosting Mamdani, she may be attempting to cut off Cuomo’s path to political redemption, even at the cost of enabling a socialist to take charge of New York City.

“It’s as much about stopping Cuomo as it is about supporting Mamdani,” one insider told The Post. “She doesn’t want him anywhere near power.”

At the heart of the uproar lies the fundamental question: what kind of city will New York become under Mamdani’s leadership, should he win?

The New York Post has extensively chronicled Mamdani’s record: his refusal to condemn the chant “globalize the intifada,” his vocal support for the BDS movement targeting Israel, and his flirtation with policies that critics say would gut the NYPD’s capacity to fight crime.

For Trump and other critics, Hochul’s endorsement not only validates Mamdani’s radicalism but also threatens to make New York City a test case for socialism in America’s urban centers.

“This is no longer a fringe movement,” one Republican strategist told The Post. “With Hochul’s blessing, it’s a movement backed by the state’s highest office.”

Trump’s warning about federal funds is not idle. New York relies heavily on federal support for infrastructure, housing, homeland security, and education. According to figures cited by The Post, billions of dollars flow from Washington into New York City every year.

By threatening to halt or reduce those funds, Trump is flexing leverage that could put immense pressure on both Hochul and Mamdani. While such a move would face legal and political hurdles, the mere suggestion underscores how seriously the administration views the danger of a Mamdani mayoralty.

It also signals to other Democratic leaders—from Schumer to Jeffries—that aligning with Mamdani could carry national consequences, not just local ones.

The fallout from Hochul’s endorsement is only beginning, but as The New York Post report made clear, the reverberations are already being felt from Albany to Washington. For Mamdani, the governor’s support offers long-sought legitimacy and a potential wave of establishment endorsements. For Hochul, it is a perilous gamble that ties her fate to one of the most controversial figures in recent New York politics.

And for Trump, it is an opportunity to reassert himself as the defender of New York against what he calls the creeping tide of socialism. His threat to pull federal funds may or may not materialize, but it illustrates a growing recognition: the race for New York City’s mayoralty has become a national battle over ideology, identity, and the future of America’s largest metropolis.

As one Post columnist put it bluntly: “This isn’t just about who runs City Hall. It’s about who runs New York.”