Zohran Mamdani directly hit out at President Donald Trump in his acceptance speech after winning the NYC mayoral election.
In what is being described as a 'historic' win, the 34-year-old is the first Muslim, South Asian, and the youngest person in a century to be elected as New York's mayor.
The BBC reports that Mamdani secured 50.4 per cent of the vote, while his fellow competitors, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, received 41.6 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, has expressed several policy ideas, including creating a universal childcare program, making city buses 'fast and free', and taxing the city's wealthiest residents (via CNN).
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However, prior to his win, President Trump had made his opinion clear on who he believed should be New York's mayor, as he called for residents to vote for Cuomo instead, as he said on 60 Minutes: “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice.
"You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!”
Trump had also previously indicated that he would consider holding back funds for New York if Mamdani were elected.
In his victory speech on Tuesday (November 4), Mamdani said that New York had 'spoken in a clear voice', adding: "Hope is alive."
He also said that he is 'young', 'Muslim', and a 'democratic socialist', adding: "And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this."
He then turned his attention to Trump, as he continued: "If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.
"This is not only how we stop Trump. It's how we stop the next one. So Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: 'Turn the volume up'."
Elsewhere in his speech, he said that they 'can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears not the appeasement it craves'.
"We will hold bad landlords to account because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants. We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks." he continued.
"We will stand alongside unions and expand labor protections because we know, just as Donald Trump does, that when working people have ironclad rights, the bosses who seek to extort them become very small indeed.
“New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant.
“So hear me, President Trump when I say this, to get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.”
Following Mamdani's win, Trump has already shared his feelings, as he took to Truth Social to write: "...AND SO IT BEGINS!"
Mamdani will be sworn into office on New Year's Day (January 1).
Topics: Donald Trump, News, US News, Zohran Mamdani
Gerrard Kaonga