The White House sharply criticized New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani after he suggested the Trump administration was connected to bomb threats that disrupted voting in New Jersey.
On Tuesday, several polling places in New Jersey were temporarily evacuated after bomb threats were reported. Although the threats were later deemed non-credible, they caused interruptions for voters choosing the next governor. When asked to comment on the incidents, Mamdani responded with statements that quickly drew attention from Washington.
Mamdani described the threats as “incredibly concerning” and said he viewed them as part of a broader national pattern. “We have to understand this as part of the general approach the Trump administration has taken to trying to intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud as a means of trying to repress the voice of Americans across this country,” he said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed Mamdani’s claims, calling them “completely irresponsible” and unsupported by facts. “They are based on zero evidence. And I think this is just another example of how the Democrat Party unfortunately stands for nothing. All they stand against is President Donald Trump,” she said in response to a question from Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich. Leavitt added that Trump “obviously had absolutely nothing to do with those threats.”
One day earlier, Trump—who has repeatedly criticized Mamdani—threw his support behind former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral race. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “I would much rather see a Democrat, who has had a record of success, WIN, than a communist with no experience and a record of COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE.”
He continued by warning that a vote for Curtis Sliwa would effectively benefit Mamdani. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job,” Trump wrote. He stressed that Cuomo “is capable of it, Mamdani is not!”
Trump, a New York native, also suggested he would withhold federal funding if Mamdani were elected mayor. He said it would be “highly unlikely” he would provide more than the minimum funding required by law to the city.
Cuomo responded by saying Trump’s endorsement was not truly support but opposition to Mamdani. “He believes that Mamdani is an existential threat to New York,” Cuomo said.
At a separate press event on the eve of the election, Mamdani criticized the alignment between Cuomo and the MAGA movement. “The MAGA movement’s embrace of Andrew Cuomo is reflective of Donald Trump’s understanding that this would be the best mayor for him. Not the best mayor for New York City, not the best mayor for New Yorkers, but the best mayor for Donald Trump and his administration,” Mamdani said.
