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IFJ-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF JOURNALISTS TURAMP USES ERDOĞAN'S FRIENDLY TACTIC IN TURKEY USA Trump threatened to cut off federal funding if Zohran Mamdani wins New York mayoral election He hinted at support for US President Andrew Cuomo, but Mamdani maintains his lead in recent polls Zohran Mamdani speaks at a campaign event outside New York City Hall on Monday. Photo: Adam Gray/Bloomberg Zohran Mamdani speaks at a campaign event outside New York City Hall on Monday. Photo: Adam Gray/Bloomberg On the eve of New York's closely watched mayoral election, US President Donald Trump issued a threat to his voters: Stop Zohran Mamdani or pay him. "If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral race, it's unlikely I'll contribute federal funds beyond the minimum required to my beloved first home," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "As president, I don't want to send good money after bad." Trump's comments echo his remarks from Sunday's appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes: "As president, it will be difficult for me to give much money to New York, because if a communist is running New York, you're wasting the money you're sending there." The president does not directly determine how much money any city receives from the federal government; appropriation is a constitutional function of Congress. Control over how the money is spent—or how it is withheld in foreclosure proceedings, which are prohibited by federal law—has become the subject of increasing legal wrangling. The Trump administration is moving to make good on this threat even before the votes are counted. The White House began a dispute with the state earlier this year over New York's plan to impose a congestion charge on vehicle traffic, and Trump revisited the issue in a separate Truth Social post Monday evening. [Obama's stardom ahead of crucial votes exposes Democrats' talent gap Opens in new window ] The White House withheld $18 billion for a tunnel project when the government shutdown began. A federal judge ordered the federal government to rescind the cancellation of approximately $34 million in anti-terrorism funding allocated to New York City, calling it "arbitrary, capricious, and a clear violation of law." Mr. Trump described the vote for Mr. Mamdani's other candidate, Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, as "a vote for Mamdani," referring to a vote for independent candidate and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Mr. Mamdani also stated that he would "treat this threat for what it is," saying, "This is a threat. This is not a law."