In a fiery campaign address delivered Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, President Donald Trump launched one of his most direct attacks yet on a rising star of the Democratic left, branding New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani a “communist at the highest level” and warning that Mamdani’s vision for the city represents an existential threat to the nation’s largest metropolis.

The remarks, delivered before a charged crowd of supporters, marked the president’s sharpest denunciation of Mamdani to date and signaled the White House’s deepening concern over the growing influence of democratic socialism on America’s urban political landscape. As The New York Post reported in its Thursday evening edition, Trump did not mince words.

“In New York, they’re trying to elect a communist,” Trump declared, pausing for emphasis. “The guy who wants to defund the police, take over the stores and run the stores, and have the people hand out goods.”

The president, referencing Mamdani’s past support for anti-capitalist economic policies and his ties to socialist advocacy organizations, warned that the Assembly Member’s radical platform threatens to plunge New York into chaos. “Anarchy and dictatorships prevail when communist regimes inevitably fall apart,” Trump said. “This guy is a communist at the highest level, and he wants to destroy New York.”

As The New York Post has reported in recent months, Mamdani, 33, has rapidly ascended from a freshman State Assembly member from Queens to the front-runner in the city’s high-stakes mayoral race, riding a wave of grassroots activism and leftist discontent. Backed by a coalition of progressive groups, housing justice advocates, and labor unions, Mamdani has gained national attention for proposing bold reforms, including rent cancellation, NYPD budget cuts, and the creation of municipally owned retail cooperatives.

But for Trump, Mamdani’s rise represents something far more alarming—a harbinger of what he sees as an encroaching Marxist ideology seeking to dismantle the American way of life, one city at a time.

“Generations of Americans before us did not shed their blood only so that we could surrender our country to Marxist lunatics on the eve of our 250th year,” Trump declared, as was reported by The New York Post. “As president of the United States, I’m proclaiming here and now that America is never going to be communist in any way, shape, or form—and that includes New York City.”

The crowd erupted into applause, drawing attention to the resonance of Trump’s anti-socialist rhetoric among his core base, especially as cities such as New York grapple with ongoing public safety concerns, housing instability, and ideological polarization.

Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist of Ugandan-Indian heritage, has not responded directly to Trump’s remarks. However, his campaign has frequently portrayed such criticisms as evidence that the political establishment is “terrified” of a candidate who refuses to be bought by corporate donors.

As The New York Post reported in its coverage of the race, Mamdani’s unapologetically leftist stance has alienated many centrist and traditional Democratic voters while galvanizing younger, activist-minded constituencies. His campaign has drawn comparisons to other left-wing figures such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former presidential contender Bernie Sanders, both of whom have expressed admiration for Mamdani’s platform.

Trump, according to senior aides quoted by The New York Post, sees the New York City mayoral contest as a critical bellwether for the country’s ideological trajectory—and one he is determined to shape.

“President Trump is making it crystal clear: New York is not for sale to Marxists,” said one campaign adviser. “If Mamdani wins, it sends the wrong message about what Americans are willing to tolerate.”

Trump’s denunciation of Mamdani comes on the heels of mounting pressure from high-profile Democratic donors and civic leaders for moderate forces to unite behind incumbent Mayor Eric Adams. As The New York Post reported earlier this week, billionaire investor Bill Ackman has publicly urged former Governor Andrew Cuomo to withdraw from the race, arguing that a unified anti-Mamdani vote is the only way to prevent a hard-left takeover of City Hall.

Ackman, who previously donated to Cuomo, said that only Adams has the grassroots credibility and urban executive experience to defeat Mamdani. Trump, while not formally endorsing Adams, appeared to signal tacit approval of this centrist realignment by focusing his ire solely on Mamdani.

“I love New York, and we’re not gonna let him do that,” Trump said of Mamdani’s perceived threat. “We’re not going to let a radical ideologue tear apart one of the greatest cities in the world.”

With the mayoral election fast approaching, the battle over New York has taken on outsized symbolic importance. As The New York Post editorialized in a recent op-ed, the question is no longer merely who will run the city, but what kind of city—and country—Americans want to live in.

Trump’s Iowa speech, though ostensibly delivered in the heartland, was a strategic salvo aimed directly at New York’s political heart. By framing Mamdani not just as a political opponent but as an existential threat to American democracy and capitalism, Trump is drawing a sharp ideological line heading into a volatile election season.

“This isn’t just about New York,” one Republican strategist told The New York Post. “It’s about making clear that there is no place in this country—whether it’s Iowa, Florida, or Queens—for the policies of communism.”

For now, Mamdani remains a formidable contender. But after Thursday, he may also be the most scrutinized—and polarizing—figure in American municipal politics. And with Trump’s spotlight now squarely on him, the fight for New York’s soul has gone national.