New York's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, openly spoke out against U.S. President Donald Trump on his third day in office. As reported by The New York Times, the reason was the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by American forces in Caracas.
Zohran Mamdani and Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House on November 21, 2025. That meeting was unexpectedly warm and friendly. Photo: AP Photo/Evan Vucci
On Saturday, January 3, Mamdani published a post on social network X, sharply condemning the operation, calling it a blatant attempt at regime change in another country. In his opinion, a unilateral attack on a sovereign state is an act of war and violates both federal and international law. Maduro is now held in a pre-trial detention center in New York.
During a conversation with journalists, the mayor announced that he had personally called Trump and expressed open disagreement with the conducted military operation. According to Mamdani, he clearly stated his position, after which the conversation was concluded. The mayor did not specify how the president reacted. Trump's administration also declined to comment on the situation.
The NYT recalls that back in November, the meeting between Trump and the newly elected mayor in the Oval Office was unexpectedly warm: the president then praised Mamdani and called him a reasonable man. However, the conflict between them arose much faster than expected.
The publication notes that the tension of the situation is heightened by the fact that Trump controls the distribution of federal funding for New York and, if he wishes, can significantly complicate the work of the city government.
Thousands of Venezuelans live in New York — one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups. Many of them fled Maduro's regime, and Mamdani had previously promised them support. It is not yet clear whether Maduro's trial will require significant expenses from the city budget, including additional security measures.
As the newspaper reminds, New York has already had experience with trials of high-profile defendants. For example, during the detention of Mexican drug lord Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán in the city, authorities were forced to close the Brooklyn Bridge during his transfers, which significantly paralyzed traffic.
Socialist Democrat Zohran Mamdani took office as Mayor of New York on January 1. He is the first Muslim mayor in the city's history. On January 2, he took a public oath, placing his hand not on the Bible, as was customary, but on the Quran.
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