NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Friday that he remains “deeply supportive of taxing the rich” after President Donald Trump posted that the mayor is “DESTROYING New York” with taxes.
Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday evening to slam the mayor, who he has previously had friendly meetings with at the White House.
“Sadly, Mayor Mamdani is DESTROYING New York! It has no chance!” Trump posted.
“The United States of America should not contribute to its failure. It will only get WORSE. The TAX, TAX, TAX Policies are SO WRONG. People are fleeing. They must change their ways, AND FAST. History has proven, THIS ‘STUFF’ JUST DOESN’T WORK,” the president continued.
Trump appeared to be referencing the state’s first pied-à-terre tax on people who own second homes in New York City worth more than $5 million. Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the plan this week.
Asked Friday by reporters about Trump’s social post, Mamdani said, “I’m interested in what New Yorkers have to say about our policies, and 93% approve of the pied-à-terre tax.”
“This is a tax that will raise a half-billion dollars ever year,” he said. “And it will raise money to fund essential city services like free childcare, cleaner streets and safer neighborhoods. The president and I both want this city to succeed this is how you do it.”
“I’ve made it clear to the president and to the public that I’m deeply supportive of taxing the rich, and taxing non-residents secondary homes worth more than $5 million falls right within that,” he said.
Asked by a reporter why Trump chose to attack him instead of Hochul, given it’s a state tax, Mamdani said, “I’ll leave the president to answer why he writes his posts the way he does and who he directs them to.”
The criticism is a break from the previously warm relations between the two men, who are polar opposites politically. When Mamdani visited the White House in November, before he was mayor, Trump said, “I feel very confident that he can do a very good job.” Mamdani had another positive meeting with the president in February after becoming mayor.
