President Donald Trump has called New York City's Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani a "100% Communist Lunatic" and a "total nut job." Mamdani has called Trump's administration "authoritarian" and described himself as "Donald Trump's worst nightmare." But their first-ever meeting Friday at the White House focused more on their shared goals rather than their combustible differences. They discussed housing affordability and the cost of groceries and utilities. Mamdani successfully used frustration over inflation to get elected, just as the president did in the 2024 election. The president brushed aside Mamdani's criticisms of him over his administration's deportation raids and claims that Trump was behaving like a despot.
Zohran Mamdani has claimed victory over a wounded, but still perhaps formidable Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary. Now the 33-year-old progressive upstart faces an equally tough task: Defeating Mayor Eric Adams and a Republican opponent, while fending off critics who argue the democratic socialist who thrilled liberal voters is too far to the left. The results, while not yet finalized, have Mamdani in a commanding lead that will be exceedingly difficult for Cuomo to overcome when ballots are redistributed in New York City's ranked choice voting process.
Today in history: On Aug. 3, 2019, a gunman opened fire at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, resulting in the deaths of 23 people; after surrendering, the gunman told detectives he targeted "Mexicans" and had outlined the plot in a screed published online shortly before the attack.
