Zohran Mamdani, the leading candidate for the New York mayoral election, has thrown down the gauntlet to President Donald Trump, challenging him to a public debate.
Mamdani Rejects Cuomo Debates, Challenges Trump Directly
Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, clinched victory over ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the June Democratic primary. He has now called out Trump, accusing the White House of interfering in the mayoral race, as reported by the New York Post on Thursday.
White House officials reportedly considered offering jobs to Mayor Eric Adams and GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa to push them out of the race, a move that could boost Cuomo's chances against frontrunner Mamdani.
“…he should come to New York City and debate me directly about why he's cutting SNAP benefits for hungry New Yorkers to give tax breaks to his wealthy donors," said the Mayoral candidate.
Earlier on Thursday, Cuomo had challenged Mamdani to a series of debates, one in each borough. Mamdani, however, refused to engage in these proposed debates, instead calling for a direct debate with Trump.
"Let's cut out the middle man," Mamdani told the publication.
Trump, Mamdani Set Stage For Explosive Election Clash
On Thursday, during the dinner with tech CEOs in White House, Trump stated that Mamdani has a “little bit of a lead," in the race, reported Associated Press. "I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one-on-one, and I think that's a race that could be won,” stated the president.
Mamdani’s challenge to Trump comes after a series of back and forth between the two. In June, Trump criticized Mamdani’s victory in the Democratic primary as a sign of the Democratic Party’s radical left turn. In response, Mamdani’s supporters, including Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), rallied behind him.
In July, Mamdani fired back at Trump’s threats to arrest and deport him if he blocked federal immigration raids in New York City, calling it an attack on democracy. Prior to that, Trump had threatened to cut federal funding for NYC if Mamdani, the Democratic candidate, didn’t “do the right thing” as the future mayor.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
