Donald Trump defiantly told his MAGA faithful that their movement was ‘far from over’ just one day after a shock victory in his native New York City by political rival Zohran Mamdani.
The president celebrated the first anniversary of his 2024 election with a tribute to his voters as socialist Mamdani won his race for mayor in an off-year election that saw lefty Democrats win key contests across multiple states.
‘My fellow Americans, our movement is far from over, in fact our fight has only just begun,’ Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social.
‘We are one movement, one people, one family and one glorious nation under God.’
As he spoke a remix of the Norman Greenbaum song ‘Spirit in the Sky’ played in the background.
To counter the wins by his Democratic rivals, Trump posted clips that highlighted historic first term accomplishments such as renaming the Gulf of Mexico, and posting dank memes mocking Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer.
It ended with a shot of Trump applauding his fans at a rally.
Trump posted a slightly drier, more composed video of himself giving a speech to tout all of his second-term achievements.
‘It’s really hard to believe but just think of it – one year ago we were still in the middle of a presidential campaign, can you believe that?’
He added that ‘it’s frankly a very different world’ than the one he returned to the White House in.
‘It seems like ten years have passed since that time since we’ve have done so much, we really have done a lot.’
The president clearly wanted to remind his followers of all his accomplishments in 2025.
‘America’s back, America’s respected perhaps like never before. Our economy’s roaring, our border is secure and our country is poised for greatness,’ he said.
‘We are doing better than anyone ever thought possible and no president has ever come even close to doing what we’ve done in nine months. Thank you very much,’ Trump concluded.
The president stormed back to the White House by winning all seven key swing states and taking the popular vote from Kamala Harris and the Democrats.
But a year later, the Democrats appear to have finally gained some momentum again, led by socialist Mamdani.
Trump publicly reprimanded Republicans for not touting his agenda enough during the 2025 campaign season to win more elections on Tuesday night.
And he warned the results could begin a slippery slope of plunging the United States into communist rule if more progressives are voted into office.
The president tackled the stunning Republican election losses, and advised on how they could win more elections – and while largely avoiding naming the winners and losers, Trump finally mentioned Mamdani by name just once when talking about how Republicans are keeping men out of women’s sports.
‘These people are crazy,’ Trump said during a business forum in Florida on Wednesday. ‘And Mamdani – whatever the hell his name is in New York – he thinks it’s wonderful to have men playing in women’s sports.’
‘Now let’s see how a communist does in New York – we’re going to see how that works out. And we’ll help them… we want New York to be successful. We’ll help them – a little bit, maybe,’ he added.
Trump also claimed that Republicans ‘could have done a little better in terms of candidates’ who were put up for mayor, governor and other local positions in Tuesday’s elections.
The president told Republicans that they need to brag more about how much more they’ve done for Americans than the Democrats in order to win.
And he warned that Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, will plunge the US into a communist state.
But he assured while speaking at the American Business Forum in Miami, Florida on Wednesday that ‘as long as I’m in the White House the United States is not going communist in any way shape or form.’
‘We’re going to stop it – stop this nonsense,’ he insisted.
In his own speech, Mamdani delivered a message to Trump, saying: ‘So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up.’
In that speech, Mamdani listed the early pledges he intends to move on, including universal childcare, fast and free buses, and freezing rent hikes for tenants in rent-stabilized units.
His broader platform has stressed affordability measures such as a $30 minimum wage, additional affordable housing and higher taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents.
Mamdani’s campaign drew national progressive backing throughout the year, including endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Trump had weighed into the race before polls closed, branding Mamdani a ‘communist’ and threatening to restrict federal funds if he won, and he endorsed Cuomo on the eve of the vote.
Mamdani’s team and supporters framed the final result as a mandate for affordability measures and a rejection of the attacks that marred the contest.
His critics have wondered whether he could be electable in other parts of the country.
Observers have also questioned whether he would have enough time to implement his ambitious policies, following the mixed record of his predecessors.
A recent Daily Mail poll predicted that 25 per cent of New York City residents would ‘consider’ moving if he won the election. His proposed policies have spooked some locals and analysts.
On the eve of the polls, Trump hinted that he would cut funding to New York if Mamdani won the elections.
He wrote on Truth Social: ‘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 as required, to my beloved first home.’
He added: ‘I don’t want to send, as President, good money after bad.’ It was an echo of his earlier sentiments where he labelled Mamdani a communist.
