As New York City heads into its mayoral election, US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut federal funding if voters elect Muslim candidate Zohran Mamdani.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he would be reluctant to send more than “the very minimum” level of federal support to New York if Mamdani, whom he accused of being a “communist”, wins the race.

“It’s gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York,” Trump said. “Because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there.”

“I don’t want to send, as President, good money after bad,” he added.

Trump instead urged New Yorkers to vote for former governor Andrew Cuomo, now running as an Independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani.

“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice,” Trump wrote. “You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not.”

Mamdani dismissed the president’s remark, saying, "It is a threat. It is not the law." He also reiterated that he is a Democratic socialist, not a communist.

Cuomo said Trump’s words did not constitute an endorsement. “He’s not endorsing me. He’s opposing Mamdani.”

Opinion polls show Mamdani leading Cuomo, with Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa trailing far behind. Trump declined to back Sliwa, saying, “A vote for Curtis Sliwa … is a vote for Mamdani.”

If elected, Mamdani would become New York City’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest in more than a century.

Meanwhile, Trump has deployed National Guard units to Democratic-led cities as part of a policing crackdown, and sought to deny resources to cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

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