From the Outside Looking

If Mr Zohran Mamdani wins the November New York (NY) mayoral elections, he might be in the position to seriously contest for the US presidency, if he so wishes, probably in the next ten years. This is not unique; there have been occasions where mayors have contested the top job.

The reason is not far to decipher. When Mamdani defeated former mayor, Mr. Andrew Cuomo, in the Democratic Party primaries to contest for the seat, he drew an unchartered criticism from an unlikely source. It is not common for a sitting US president to go for a mere mayoral contestant, as has happened.

President Donald Trump immediately went for Mamdani’s political jugular. He termed Zohran, a “100% Communist lunatic”; and that if Mamdani won the mayor-ship, he would “have fun” going after him; that is in the next three years. “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social. “Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!” His Truth Social should actually be called: Telling Lies Social.

This has instantly catapulted Zohran to the US national political limelight. As a declared Socialist, he has assumed the position of former Democratic presidential candidates, like Mr. Bernie Sanders, who were not successful contenders. Indeed, Sanders has endorsed him in the Democratic Party credentials for the NY mayoral seat in the November polls.

Why has Trump done this, six months after he assumed the presidency?

It has to do with the NY status. In his primary contest, Mamdani

campaigned on the platform that promises the New Yorkers with  “affordability”.  Apparently they are affected by transportation fares, such that Mamdani has proposed free public buses service citywide. He has also gone after New York’s landlords, promising the tenants that he would freeze rent in subsidized units; that means that the landlords are not to increase rent unilaterally, such that Mamdani wants stricter accountability for such landlords.

And affordability also goes for groceries for people to afford the basic needs of life – all paid for by new taxes on the rich. For him, this would sort out the position where he claims that; “This is a city where one in four of its people are living in poverty, a city where 500,000 kids go to sleep hungry every night.”

Mamdani’s policies include raising the minimum wage to $30. Accordingly, his critics, heralded by Trump and using media, such as The Washington Post, are not happy. “Such a massive minimum wage would depress low-skilled employment. His rent freeze would reduce the housing supply and decrease its quality. Cutting bus fares would leave a transit funding hole that, unless somehow filled, would erode service. The grocery business operates on thin margins, and his plan for city-run stores would probably lead to fewer options, poor service and shortages,” claimed The Post in its commentary.

But the “suffering” New Yorkers are not fazed. An excited grassroots supporter commented of Mamdani: “He understands us. He belongs to us. He’s from our immigrant community.” And they are the voters in this city of 8.5 million people.

Among other things, these Mamdanl’s promises affects Trump personally and directly. Taxing the NY rich goes to trump’s throat.

He is one of NY’s billionaire property owners.  Freezing rent goes directly to Trump’s pockets. He is among the million NY landlords. In fact, most of the time, when Trump is not billeted in the White House or in the Florida Mar a Lago expanse, he is staying in suites in his NY hotel.

These are some of the issues Mamdani has been focusing and based his campaign on. And they won him the Democratic primary, beating Cuomo by 56% to 44% votes.

But NY is a city with racial and political tensions. Muslim Mamdani, has received Islam-o-phobic threats. As he has talked; “Racism is indicative of what’s broken in US politics, that allowed for Donald Trump to be re-elected; and fails to stand up for working people, no matter who they were or, where they came from.” In his campaigns for the US presidency, Trump actually promised these; and has done nothing since.

Mamdani’s progressive politics has gone against the “decaying gods of the establishment”. In their Islam-o-phobia, calling, they say that a Muslim anti-Semite has taken over the most important city in the US. And yet, Mamdani has not even become mayor yet.

Politicians, public figures and members Trump’s administration such as White House Deputy Chief-of-Staff, Stephen Miller, say that Mamdani’s win is what happens when a country fails to control immigration. Republican Congressman Andy Ogles now calls Mamdani, “Little Muhammad”. All these want him denaturalized and deported.

But the hatred towards Mamdani is because he is an outsider in more meaningful ways, not just in his religion.  And he has countered it. He has explained his dislike for anti-Semitism. He promises to combat all hate crime. He says he has “shocked the Establishment with a campaign focused on the needs of working people.”

Mamdani refuses to be “intimidated” by Trump, about stopping the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), from doing its work in NY, the Big Apple. He says he “will not accept this intimidation”.

“The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported. Not because I have broken any law, but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorize our city,” Mamdani said.

He added: “His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy, but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadow: if you speak up, they will come for you. It is a scandal that echoes this President’s division, distraction and hate. Voters [will] resoundingly reject it in November,” he said.

Polling currently shows him ahead of current Mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa for the November vote. He personal looks are like those of the 16^th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln!

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