New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani faced sharp criticism from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who called his claims blaming former President Donald Trump for bomb threats and voter intimidation “completely irresponsible.” Leavitt stated during a press conference that Mamdani’s assertions lacked evidence.
Mamdani, 34, accused the Trump administration of using baseless voter fraud allegations to suppress American voices, citing recent bomb threats in New Jersey as part of a broader pattern of intimidation. He described the situation as “incredibly concerning” and warned of attacks on democracy. Leavitt countered that such remarks reflected the Democratic Party’s opposition to Trump, claiming the party “stands for nothing” but “only against” him. She emphasized that Trump had no connection to the threats.
Mamdani is competing in the race against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent after losing the Democratic nomination, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Trump has previously mocked Mamdani’s socialist platform, calling him “my little communist,” and urged Jewish New Yorkers not to vote for him, labeling him a “self-professed Jew hater.” During a 60 Minutes interview, Trump expressed preference for Cuomo over Mamdani despite criticizing the former governor.
