President Donald Trump’s latest online rant is sparking fresh outrage and accusations of openly committing “another impeachable offense”.
In a fiery post shared on Truth Social, Trump once again mixed political threats with personal insults, but this time his words carried an unmistakable message about who he plans to target next — and how.
Early Friday morning, Trump boasted he would block federal funds for New York City if Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani wins office in November.
“Self proclaimed New York City Communist, Zohran Mamdani, who is running for Mayor, will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party,” Trump wrote on Sept. 29.
Adding, “He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed! President DJT”
The post triggered immediate backlash online, with many calling the remarks “election interference” and critics noting that presidents are not allowed to condition federal funding on political loyalty.
“If Trump is openly planning to withhold federal funds from New York over anti-Zohran politics, at what point do New Yorkers — who put in far more than they take out — get to stop paying federal taxes? This is now a full blown constitutional crisis,” one critic wrote on Threads.
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“Another impeachable offense,” observed another while one responded that he’s “Just racking them up. The counter tab is now 24 legit impeachable actions.”
One user was a bit more cynical, “I’m afraid that Americans need to realise; there is NOTHING that is an impeachable offence, unless you have majorities in both houses! That is the failing of your constitution. It helps and provides safety for the powerful, rich and corrupt. Face it, that’s how it was always intended to work!”
Several questioned, “How is this not blatant election interference? Lawsuit? Anything?” and “How is this legal and normalised?”
The uproar highlights the legal and political risks of Trump’s statement. While presidents hold wide discretion over federal priorities, legal scholars have long warned that weaponizing funding against political opponents would be an abuse of power and grounds for impeachment.
Mamdani, 33, is running on a platform centered on affordability. His campaign pledges include free buses, city-owned grocery stores, and rent freezes for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments. He has consistently rejected Trump’s labeling of him as a communist.
In an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett later on Monday after Trump’s post, Mamdani was asked directly: “Are you?”
“No. I’m a democratic socialist,” he said. “I’ve said that time and again.”
Mamdani argued that Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his actual ideology speaks volumes.
“I think it reflects the fact that… whereas that identity would have been enough for Donald Trump in the past, now he doesn’t even want to use that because he knows that the message of my politics is one that is connecting with New Yorkers across the five boroughs. It’s a message of dignity in each and every person’s life.”
Mamdani suggested Trump’s attacks reflect frustration at his standing in the polls.
“And what we’re seeing in these clips, and what we’re seeing in what Donald Trump says, is he’s going through the many stages of grief. First, it’s denial that this could ever take place. Now it’s acceptance, and still, through it all, he is looking to use every tool at his disposal to help Andrew Cuomo become the next mayor of this city.”
Following Mayor Eric Adams’ abrupt exit from the race on Sunday, Prediction market Kalshi now puts Mamdani’s chances at 84%, according to Fox Business. Independent Andrew Cuomo trails with 16%, while Republican Curtis Sliwa sits at 2%.
For some Democrats, Mamdani’s rise is a source of both inspiration and alarm. Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York wrote in The Wall Street Journal that Mamdani “is a charismatic, smart and effective campaigner with whom I disagree.” He called the campaign “a loud wake-up call for the Democratic Party,” even as he criticized Mamdani’s promises as unrealistic.
Mamdani’s political identity has long been rooted in critiques of the nation-state and analyses of political violence. His academic work includes “Neither Settler Nor Native,” which argues that the nation-state is inherently unjust, and “Citizen and Subject,” which introduced the concept of the “bifurcated state” in colonial Africa. In “Good Muslim, Bad Muslim,” he examined Cold War interventionism and its role in modern terrorism.
But it is his city-focused campaign promises that have energized voters at home — and attracted the ire of Trump. Mamdani remains firm that the fight is less about ideology and more about basic economic dignity.
Whether Trump’s latest remarks amount to an impeachable abuse of power may depend less on legal interpretation and more on the political realities of Congress, where impeachment can only advance with partisan majorities. For now, Trump’s blunt threat is fueling debate over the boundaries of presidential power and raising new questions about whether openly posting such intentions is itself a constitutional violation.
