ollowing his victory in the New York mayoral election, Zohran Mamdani has become the first Muslim mayor of the city, despite strong and vocal opposition from President Donald Trump, who is himself a New Yorker. Mamdani belongs to an immigrant family that moved to the United States from Uganda about two decades ago. The election saw unusual turnout, reportedly the highest since 2001. A law graduate and well-known social democrat, Mamdani ran his campaign on a platform of reforms, reduced taxes and relief for the underprivileged and working class—an agenda that President Trump described as “communist.”

The atmosphere around Mamdani’s victory speech was as charged as the campaign itself. Speaking to supporters in Brooklyn after his historic win, Mamdani called the result “a light in a moment of political darkness.” He said, “Here we believe in standing up for those we love, whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans- community, one of the many Black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job, a single mom still waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with their back against the wall. No more will New York be a city where you can traffic in Islamophobia and win an election.” He added, “New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”

Reacting to Mamdani’s victory, President Trump said that the ongoing federal shutdown due to funding disputes was a major reason behind the Republican defeat in New York. Having been in power for almost a year, President Trump has taken a series of harsh measures against immigrants and introduced protectionist trade policies. Recently, he deployed National Guard troops in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, and attempted to do the same in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, although those moves were challenged in courts. The president has also been accused of suppressing protests by immigrants and silencing voices supporting the political and human rights of Palestinians.

In another blow to his party, the Republicans also lost gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, marking another major setback for the Trump administration.

The atmosphere around Mamdani’s victory speech was as charged as the campaign itself. Speaking to supporters in Brooklyn after his historic win, Mamdani called the result “a light in a moment of political darkness.”

Dr Adil Najam, a global policy expert, described Mamdani’s victory as “a backlash against Trump’s policies.” Political analyst Mushahid Hussain Sayed called it “a political earthquake in American politics, as a socialist, progressive, and anti-Zionist young Muslim is elected mayor of New York City.” He described the result in terms of “winds of change.”

With London already having elected Sadiq Khan as its mayor, two of the world’s most influential Western cities now have Muslim leaders. New York, home to around 8.4 million people, is considered the cultural and economic hub of the United States and a symbol of diversity and immigrant contribution.

“If the Democrats get into power, it’s going to be a very bad situation,” Trump said, reacting to the recent Democratic gains. Just two days before the New York mayoral election, he had warned voters, saying, “If Communist candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the election for mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing federal funds, other than the very minimum required, to my beloved first home.” Trump had endorsed former New York governor Andrew Cuomo as his preferred candidate.

Dr Najam believes Mamdani will face serious challenges from the president in implementing his reform agenda and tax relief plans for the underprivileged. The United States will hold its midterm elections in April 2026. Some experts say if the Republicans lose their majority in Congress as a result of those elections, the president’s policy agenda could face significant obstacles.

The author is a staff reporter. He can be reached at vaqargillani@gmail.com.