Donald Trump has alternated between harsh insults and unexpectedly positive remarks about Zohran Mamdani, especially around Mamdani’s election as New York City mayor.

Key insults and attacks

Trump has repeatedly framed Mamdani as an extreme leftist and a threat to his agenda.

  • He has called Mamdani “my little communist mayor” in reference to his democratic socialist politics.
  • In social media posts and remarks, he labeled him a “100% Communist lunatic” and a “total nut job.”
  • Trump suggested “a lot of people are saying he’s here illegally” and said his administration would “look at everything” regarding Mamdani’s status.
  • He threatened to pull or severely limit federal funding for New York City if Mamdani became mayor, warning that under a “communist” mayor the city would not get more than the bare legal minimum from Washington.
  • He floated the idea of having Mamdani arrested if Mamdani tried to block federal immigration enforcement, saying that if the mayor interfered with deportation operations, “then we’ll have to arrest him.”
  • Trump attacked Jewish supporters of Mamdani, saying “any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!” in reference to Mamdani’s criticism of Israeli policy and support for Palestinian statehood.

Softer comments and walk-backs

Alongside the bombast, Trump has also played down some of the most inflammatory claims pushed by his allies.

  • When a reporter asked whether he thought Mamdani was a “jihadist,” echoing language used by Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump answered: “No, I don’t,” adding that “you say things sometimes in a campaign” and calling Stefanik “a very capable person.”
  • After their first White House meeting, Trump said they had a “great” and “very fruitful” discussion focused on making New York “robust and secure,” and he expressed hope Mamdani could be a “spectacular success” for the city.
  • In that same setting, when pressed about Mamdani having previously called him a fascist or despot, Trump largely brushed it off and redirected to their shared interest in New York’s future.

How this plays online

These moments have fueled a lot of forum and social-media chatter about what Trump “really” thinks of Mamdani.

  • Users point out the contrast between Trump’s over-the-top online insults and his comparatively cordial tone standing next to Mamdani at the White House.
  • Threads highlight that Trump sometimes defends Mamdani—like saying he is not a jihadist—while still amplifying narratives that paint him as a dangerous radical.

TL;DR: Trump has called Zohran Mamdani things like “my little communist mayor,” “100% Communist lunatic,” and a “total nut job,” threatened funding cuts and even arrest, but he has also publicly said Mamdani is not a “jihadist” and praised their meeting as “great” and “fruitful” when they stood together at the White House.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.