On the eve of New York City’s mayoral election, President Trump threatened to withhold federal funds if Democrat Zohran Mamdani wins, calling him a “communist” and urging voters to back independent Andrew Cuomo or Republican Curtis Sliwa instead.

The White House has already clashed with New York over congestion pricing and withheld $18 billion for a tunnel project during the government shutdown, with a judge ordering the reversal of $34 million in counterterrorism funding rescinded by the administration.

Cuomo, running as an independent, amplified Trump’s message, while Mamdani dismissed it as a political threat and emphasized that federal funds legally belong to New York City, The Guardian has reported.

Recent polls show Mamdani maintaining a double-digit lead, with 41% support compared to Cuomo’s 34% and Sliwa’s 24%.