Zohran Mamdani fired back at President Donald Trump during his speech. He delivered the remarks after winning the New York City mayoral election on Nov. 4. For months, Mamdani has been the target of repeated attacks from Trump. Now he has decided to call out Trump as the democratic socialist hailed a “mandate for change” with his victory.
“If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him,” Mamdani, 34, said. “And if there is any way to defeat a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.”
He added: “This is not only how we stop Trump ‒ it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.”
The crowd that had gathered that evening to support Mamdani at the Brooklyn Paramount erupted in applause. Mamdani had rightly predicted that Trump might be watching, because Trump took to Truth Social during the speech, and wrote, “…AND SO IT BEGINS!”
BREAKING: In the most stunning moment of NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s acceptance speech, he directly calls out Trump, saying “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.”
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) November 5, 2025
Several times, Trump has mocked Mamdani for being a “communist” and called him a “nut job.” Trump threatened to cut federal funding if Mamdani took office. But the threats didn’t stop Mamdani, a state assemblyman, who went after Trump in his victory speech.
Mamdani also vowed that his administration, which starts Jan. 1, will hold landlords accountable as “the Donald Trumps in our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of our tenants.”
“We will stand alongside unions and expand labor protections because we know – just as Donald Trump does – that when working people have ironclad rights, the bosses who seek to extort them become very small indeed,” he said.
NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani challenges President Trump in his victory speech:
“New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants. And as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”
Congratulations to the people of New York, a big win. We… pic.twitter.com/wPolXfayt1
— YaYa Abba. 🫶🏻 (@Maxajee) November 5, 2025
The crowd erupted when Mamdani said, “New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and as of tonight, led by an immigrant. “So, hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.”
Mamdani started his victory speech by quoting the founder of the Socialist Party, Eugene Debs. He then took a dig at former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo, who finished second behind Mamdani. “You have delivered a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford and a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that,” Mamdani said.
