Sir Sadiq Khan has expressed satisfaction with a significant setback for Donald Trump as New York elected Democrat Zohran Mamdani as the city’s new mayor.
President Trump had endorsed the defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo, criticized Mr. Mamdani as a “communist,” and threatened to withhold federal funding from New York if Mr. Mamdani won. Despite this, Mr. Mamdani emerged victorious, defeating Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa to become the city’s first Muslim mayor and the first of South Asian descent.
Sir Sadiq praised Mr. Mamdani for running a “historic campaign” and congratulated him on becoming New York’s youngest mayor in over a century starting January 1. He highlighted the choice New Yorkers faced between hope and fear, emphasizing that hope prevailed, similar to London’s experience.
The London mayor’s support for Mr. Mamdani follows a prolonged feud with President Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Sir Sadiq since 2015. Trump labeled him as one of the worst mayors globally during his UK visit in September, falsely claiming that Sir Sadiq wanted to enforce Sharia law in London.
In response, the London mayor condemned Trump as “racist, sexist, misogynistic,” and “Islamophobic,” asserting that Trump’s attacks stemmed from his own prejudices. Mr. Mamdani, in his victory speech, challenged Trump to “turn the volume up” to hear the cheers of his supporters, affirming that New York will remain a city built, powered, and led by immigrants.
The city’s Board of Elections reported that the voter turnout was the highest in over 50 years, with more than two million ballots cast. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, when asked about Mr. Mamdani’s win, mentioned that she does not closely follow American politics.
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