Mamdani declares war on Trump and challenges Democratic leaders in victory speech

New York's mayor elect Zohran Mamdani proclaimed himself as "a light in these dark times" and openly declared war on Donald Trump and even Democratic leaders in his victory speech. With a clearly populist tone and winks to socialism, Mamdani thanked workers for his triumph, accusing without mentioning the Democratic Party of having forgotten them. In addition, he promised to be the reference point for all minorities in the fight to "take down" Trump.

"In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light. Here, we believe in standing up for those we love, whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many Black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job, a single mom still waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with their back against the wall. Your struggle is ours, too."

"The future is in our hands. My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty"

The challenges to Trump, however, came in the final part of his speech. At first, Mamdani had no qualms about charging the Democrats who have ruled the city in recent years, accusing them of "helping only those who helped" them and of corruption. Above all, he denounced that the Democratic Party had "forgotten the workers," the very ones who had now made his arrival at Gracie Mansion possible.

"For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well connected that power does not belong in their hands. Fingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor, palms calloused from delivery bike handlebars, knuckles scarred with kitchen burns: These are not hands that have been allowed to hold power. And yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands. My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty."

In case any doubts remained, Mamdani again denounced the Democrats by accusing them of "forgetting" the working people and minorities of New York. Personalizing Andrew Cuomo, his rival first as a Democrat in the primary and later as an independent at the polls, he insisted that Democratic Party leaders have practiced "policy that abandons the majority and answers only to the few."

Challenge to the "despot" Trump: "The city that gave rise to him" will defeat him

After recalling his great electoral promises and pledging to fulfill them, he again raised the tone to throw down the gauntlet to Donald Trump, whom he began by accusing of having "betrayed" the nation and of being a despot, assuring that it will be the nation that helped him rise who will lead his downfall:

"After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power. 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.

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. 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."

"To get to any one of us, he's going to have to get past all of us"

A challenge that could not miss the raids against illegal immigrants launched by ICE since the arrival of Donald Trump:

"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. When we enter City Hall in 58 days, expectations will be high. We will meet them. A great New Yorker once said that while you campaign in poetry, you govern in prose."