New Yorkers -- President Donald Trump has dropped a bombshell that could hit the Big Apple’s wallet hard.
In a fiery sit-down with CBS’s 60 Minutes at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, Trump laid out a stark warning about withholding federal funds from New York City if Zohran Mamdani, a self-described “communist,” wins the mayoral race against Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, while also defending tough immigration policies and slamming Democrats over a prolonged government shutdown, as the Daily Mail reports.
This interview, airing this Sunday, marks Trump’s first return to 60 Minutes since a hefty $16 million settlement with Paramount over a prior dispute involving a 2024 segment, signaling a shift in the network’s dynamics under new pro-Trump leadership.
Conducted by Norah O’Donnell, formerly of CBS Evening News, the interview comes after a tumultuous history with the program, including a 2020 walkout by Trump during a chat with Lesley Stahl, with an unedited transcript later released.
Paramount’s recent merger with Skydance Media, approved by the FCC shortly after the settlement, and the appointment of Trump donor Kenneth Weinstein to probe bias at CBS News, alongside Bari Weiss taking the helm as editor-in-chief, suggest a friendlier landscape for Trump at the network.
The resignation of 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens earlier this spring, citing a loss of independence, only adds to the narrative of a media giant realigning its priorities under new management.
Turning to the meat of the interview, Trump didn’t mince words about New York City’s future, painting a dire picture if Mamdani, currently leading Cuomo by double digits in polls like the JL Partners/Daily Mail survey showing a 15-point edge, takes the mayor’s seat.
“It's gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York… Because if you have a Communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there,” Trump declared, drawing a line in the sand over federal support.
Comparing Mamdani to Bill de Blasio, whom he dubbed “the worst mayor in history,” Trump made it clear he sees this potential leadership as a disaster waiting to happen, though he scoffed at Cuomo’s wild claim that a Mamdani win would make Trump the “real mayor” as utterly absurd.
While admitting a personal dislike for Cuomo, Trump didn’t hesitate to say he’d rather see him in office over Mamdani, framing it as choosing the lesser of two problematic options for the city’s future.
“If it's gonna be between a bad Democrat and a Communist, I'm gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you,” Trump stated, offering a pragmatic if grudging nod to Cuomo in this high-stakes race.
This stance isn’t just posturing -- it’s a signal to New Yorkers that federal goodwill could hinge on who steers the city away from what Trump views as a dangerous progressive agenda.
Beyond the mayoral drama, Trump used the platform to defend aggressive ICE raids, arguing that liberal judges appointed by past administrations have unfairly tied agents’ hands in enforcing border security.
He also pointed fingers at Democrats for the government shutdown, now dragging into its 33rd day as of Monday, noting that Republicans have nearly unanimously voted to end it. While Democrats continue to obstruct progress, leaving taxpayers in limbo over what he sees as partisan stubbornness.
With additional comments from a mid-October flight back from the Middle East praising allies like Larry and David Ellison of Skydance as supportive friends who “do the right thing,” Trump painted a picture of a leader backed by influential figures, ready to tackle these contentious issues head-on while navigating a shifting media landscape at CBS.
