'Whatever the hell his name is': Trump mocks NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani

New York: US President Donald Trump has mocked New York City's Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, referring to him as “whatever the hell his name is”, while asserting that Americans now face a stark choice between "communism and common sense" following the November 4 elections.

Addressing the America Business Forum Miami in Florida on Wednesday, a day after Mamdani, an Indian-origin Democratic socialist, was elected as New York City’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor, Trump said when he was elected to his second term in office on November 5 last year, the American people had "restored" their sovereignty but "lost a little bit" of it with the mayoral election on Tuesday.

"But we will take care of it. Don't worry about it," he said, warning, “you watch what happens in New York, terrible... I hope it doesn't happen, but you're going to see it.”

"...and Mandami, whatever the hell his name is in New York... thinks it’s wonderful to have men playing in women's sports,” Trump said, drawing boos and jeers from the audience.

Trump, who had earlier warned that Mamdani's victory would bring a "complete and total economic and social disaster" to New York City, accused Democrats of installing a communist in the largest US city.

“If you want to see what Congressional Democrats wish to do to America, just look at the result of yesterday's election in New York, where their party installed a communist as the mayor of the largest city in the nation,” he said.

The US president said after Tuesday’s results, “the decision facing all Americans could not be more clear. We have a choice between communism and common sense. Does that make sense to you? Common sense? It's common sense or communism.”

He said communism hasn't worked in the past.

“Our opponents are offering an economic nightmare. We're delivering an economic miracle,” Trump said, adding that while he used to warn against electing socialists, “we skipped socialist and put in a communist instead”.

The Republican leader said his opponents are hell bent on turning America into a communist Cuba, socialist Venezuela, and "you see what happened to those places".

Cautioning that Democrats have become "so extreme”, Trump quipped that Miami could soon become a "refuge" for those fleeing communism in New York City.

Despite his attacks, the president expressed affection for his home city, saying, "I love New York... we had the telltale signs of trouble because we had a guy named de Blasio”.

Trump was referring to former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a member of the Democratic Party.

He reiterated that under his leadership, the US is not going communist in any way, shape or form.

“We’ll stop it. We're going to stop it. Stop this nonsense,” he said, adding that between a communist or a thug, the people “took the communist. It's pretty amazing. We could have done a little better in terms of candidates”.

“But the communists, Marxists, socialists and globalists had their chance, and they delivered nothing but disaster. And now let's see how a communist does in New York. We're going to see how that works out,” Trump said.

The president, however, added that he “will help them. We want New York to be successful. We'll help them a little bit, maybe”.

Meanwhile, in his fiery victory speech, Mamdani, who has been a vocal critic of Trump, said New York “will remain a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant”.

“After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power,” he said to thunderous applause.

"Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up," he said, adding, "To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us."