The US president has vowed to stop Zohran Mamdani from destroying the city

US President Donald Trump has accused Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani of trying to "destroy New York," calling him a "communist lunatic." In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, the president promised to save the Big Apple.

Mamdani swept to victory in the Democratic primary last week, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo with 56% of the vote. The assemblyman from Queens has described himself as a democratic socialist and is running on a platform that includes fare-free public transit, rent freezes, universal childcare, and publicly owned grocery stores.

"As president of the United States, I'm not going to let this communist lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards. I'll save New York City, and make it 'Hot' and 'Great' again, just like I did with the Good Ol' USA!" Trump wrote.

Earlier this week, Mamdani got the president's attention after he vowed to prevent ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents from operating in New York City and "deporting our neighbors."

Speaking at a detention facility in Florida on Tuesday, the president threatened to arrest the mayoral nominee if he tries to interfere with ICE raids.

"We do not need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I am going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation," Trump said, suggesting that law enforcement would look into whether Mamdani is in the country legally.

Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, moved to the US as a child and became a naturalized citizen in 2018.

Responding to Trump's remarks, Mamdani accused the US leader of trying to intimidate dissenters. "He threatened me with arrest and deportation not because I have broken any law, but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorize our city," he said on X.