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Did Donal Trump say we have a commie running NYC on Truth Social.
Executive summary
Donald Trump did call New York’s mayoral contender Zohran Mamdani a “Communist” and warned he might withhold federal funds if a “Communist” ran New York — language he used on Truth Social, in TV interviews and in public comments (The Guardian coverage) [1] [2]. Multiple outlets quote his Truth Social posts where he urged Republicans to back Cuomo over Mamdani and threatened funding cuts if a “communist” won [1] [2].
1. What the reporting actually shows: Trump used the “communist” label on Truth Social
Reporting from The Guardian and related pieces directly quote a Truth Social post in which Trump called Zohran Mamdani a “Communist” candidate and said he would be “highly unlikely” to contribute federal funds if Mamdani prevailed, characterizing such a mayor as a reason to withhold money [1] [2]. Those articles also cite Truth Social posts in which Trump urged New York Republicans to vote for Andrew Cuomo instead of Mamdani [1].
2. Where this comment appeared beyond Truth Social: TV and other posts
The Guardian notes Trump repeated the message in an interview and elsewhere: his “communist” phrasing showed up on TV — for example, on CBS’s 60 Minutes — and he reiterated that sentiment on Truth Social and Fox News, tying his funding threat to having “a communist running New York” [2]. This means the language circulated across multiple public platforms, not only Truth Social, according to coverage [2].
3. How outlets framed the comment: threat vs. political attack
Coverage frames the comment as both an attack on Mamdani and a policy threat. The Guardian describes it as a funding threat and political endorsement for Cuomo, noting Mamdani’s campaign response that Trump’s threat “is not the law” [2]. Another Guardian item framed the Truth Social language as part of last-minute efforts to influence the mayoral race and to cast Mamdani as an inexperienced “Communist” [1].
4. Legal and practical limits mentioned in reporting
The Guardian records Mamdani and others pushing back that presidential threats to withhold funds face legal and constitutional limits, summarized by Mamdani’s remark that such a threat “is not the law” [2]. Available sources do not detail a legal finding that Trump could or could not lawfully cut federal funds in that specific scenario; reporting only highlights the claim and the pushback [2]. For explicit legal analysis or court rulings tied to this exact statement, those details are not found in the provided reporting.
5. Truth Social’s role and verification context
Multiple pieces stress Truth Social is Trump’s principal megaphone for such messages; The Guardian quotes Truth Social posts verbatim [1] [2]. Separate reporting underscores Truth Social’s frequent use by Trump and notes the platform sometimes hosts AI-generated content and has faced moderation and fact-checking scrutiny — relevant background for assessing any Truth Social claim [3] [4]. The Independent and NYT pieces show Truth Social can contain AI-generated posts or tools that contest claims, but they do not contradict the specific quotes about Mamdani being called a “Communist” [5] [3].
6. Competing perspectives: Trump’s political messaging vs. critics’ pushback
Trump and allies presented the messaging as a rhetorical and policy stance — warning about how federal dollars should be spent if a “communist” led NYC [1]. Opponents, including Mamdani’s campaign, framed the comments as partisan intimidation and legally dubious; reporting quotes Mamdani saying the threat is not lawful and characterizes it as political interference [2]. The coverage shows clear disagreement over whether the president could or would lawfully act on that threat [2].
7. What is not in the coverage: definitive outcomes or legal rulings
The articles supplied report the statements and immediate reactions but do not document any final administrative decision, court ruling, or actual withholding of federal funds tied to that statement [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention subsequent enforcement action or a legal finding validating or invalidating the president’s claim in this particular instance.
8. Bottom line for readers
The factual baseline is straightforward: Trump publicly called a mayoral opponent “Communist” and used Truth Social to threaten reduced federal funding if that candidate won; The Guardian’s reporting reproduces the Truth Social text and notes similar TV remarks [1] [2]. Whether such threats would be legally effective or politically enforceable remains contested in the reporting and is not resolved by the provided sources [2].