Mamdani Baits Trump To Throw Down in Person Over ‘Tax Cuts for His Billionaire Donors’

New York City mayoral candidate and Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) challenged President Donald Trump to a debate in response to comments from Trump and rival candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), now running as an independent.

Mamdani is the shock frontrunner in a four-way race between Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams (D-NY), and Curtis Sliwa (R-NY) in a race that Trump has waded into with both feet.

Trump was asked about the race on Thursday at a White House dinner with tech CEOs, and told reporters “I don’t like to see a communist become mayor”:

REPORTER: Are you encouraging any candidates in the New York City mayor’s race to drop out to clear the field?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, I don’t like to see a communist become mayor, I will tell you that, and I don’t think you can win unless you have one one-on-one.

Somehow he has gotten a little bit of a lead. I have no idea how that happened, but I would prefer not to have a communist mayor of New York City, and, you know, that is what he is based on his policy. If you look at his statements in the past.

So I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one-on-one, and I think that’s a race that can be won.

Cuomo said Thursday, of Mamdani, “I challenge him to five debates, one in every borough, where we speak about the issues in that borough. Show up. Tell New Yorkers who you are and what you really believe once and for all.”

CBS News New York’s Marcia Kramer asked Mamdani about debating Cuomo, and the upstart Democrat roped Trump into his response:

Let’s cut out the middle man. Why should I debate Donald Trump’s puppet when I can debate Donald Trump, himself.

If Donald Trump is serious about this, he should come to New York City and we can have as many debates as you want about why he is cutting SNAP benefits for hungry New Yorkers just to fund tax cuts for his billionaire donors.

Watch above via CBS News New York and NewsNation.