President Donald Trump predicted Zohran Mamdani would prevail in New York City's race for mayor this fall, saying the 33-year-old legislator represents a "rebellion" against other contenders.
Asked about Mamdani's impressive lead in the polls during a Sept. 12 interview on "Fox and Friends," the president admitted to being surprised that a member of the Democratic Socialists of America is performing so well against well-established opponents.
"Maybe one-on-one somebody could beat him... but it looks like he's gonna win," Trump said. "And that's a rebellion."
Various surveys are showing Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary earlier this year, with a commanding lead over rivals, such as incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in the race to run New York City.
A Quinnipiac University Poll released on Sept. 10, for instance, found 45% of likely voters are backing Mamdani versus 23% behind Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the primary battle. The survey finds Republican Curtis Sliwa holding 15% support and Adams, who is also running as an independent, coming in with 12%.
