The political battle lines were drawn almost immediately. In a direct challenge to President Trump, New York's Democratic Socialist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani used his victory speech to issue a taunt: 'Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up'.
The response from the commander-in-chief was swift and ominous. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump declared, '...AND SO IT BEGINS!'.
Why Mamdani Is Threatening to Take the President to Court
Mamdani, fresh from his election victory, has wasted little time in making it clear he intends to stand up to the Republican president, vowing not to be intimidated. His first line of defence against Trump's threats to defund the Big Apple is legal.
'The first thing is, you actually utilise the courts. You stop treating things as being law just by virtue of the fact that President Trump is saying them', a fired-up mayor-elect told Good Morning America. He explained his strategy when asked how he planned to push back against Trump's earlier threats.
'You can look at the example of California, where you find the attorney general, the governor and the mayor of LA coming together, filing a lawsuit in opposition to the deployment of the National Guard'.
Mamdani later doubled down on his confrontational stance, defending his decision to taunt Trump directly during his post-election media interviews.
'I have said time and again that I will work with the president if he wants to work together to deliver on his campaign promises of cheaper groceries or a lower cost of living', Mamdani told NY1.
'But for too long, what New Yorkers have seen is a mayor who has been willing to work with the president at the expense of those New Yorkers', he continued. 'I want to make it very clear that if the president looks to come after the people of this city, I will be there standing up for them every step of the way'.
Mamdani: "Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up." pic.twitter.com/AOFUquvYBQ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 5, 2025
From 'Communist' Jibes to a Cryptic 'It Begins'
The feud had been simmering throughout the election campaign. Trump repeatedly ripped Mamdani as a 'Communist' and had previously vowed to withhold federal funds from the city if New Yorkers voted the socialist into office.
Mamdani's victory speech met those threats head-on. 'If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him', he told his victory party.
Hours after his initial social media post, Trump acknowledged the widespread Republican losses in various elections, though he stopped short of mentioning Mamdani by name.
'We had that big, beautiful victory exactly one year ago', Trump told Republican senators at a White House breakfast. 'And last night it was, you know, not expected to be a victory. It was very Democrat areas'.
'But I don't think it was good for Republicans. I'm not sure it was good for anybody', he reflected.
'We had an interesting evening, and we learned a lot, and we're going to talk about that, and I'll say a few remarks, and then after that, I'll ask the press to leave'.
