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U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday the United States had lost "sovereignty" following the election of Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, as New York City's next mayor, vowing to "take care of it" without elaborating on what actions he planned to take.
Speaking in Miami one day after Mamdani's decisive victory, Trump claimed the nation's largest city would become communist and positioned Florida as an alternative destination for New Yorkers.
"Miami will soon be the refuge for those fleeing communism in New York," Trump said during a speech marking the first anniversary of his 2024 election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
The president framed the political landscape in stark terms: "The decision facing all Americans could not be more clear: We have a choice between communism and common sense," describing the divide as one between an "economic nightmare" and an "economic miracle."
Mamdani's victory came despite sustained criticism of his progressive policies and Muslim background from business leaders, conservative commentators and Trump himself. In his victory speech Tuesday night, the mayor-elect directly addressed the president.
"If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him," Mamdani said.
The mayoral race outcome, along with Democratic victories in gubernatorial contests in Virginia and New Jersey, signals a potential shift in the political environment ahead of next year's midterm elections, when control of Congress will be at stake.
Democrats also secured a significant win in California, where voters approved a ballot measure to redraw electoral districts aimed at countering gerrymandering efforts directed by Trump in other states.
Trump deflected responsibility for Tuesday's Republican losses. In a post on Truth Social, he cited unnamed "pollsters" who attributed the defeats to a government shutdown and his absence from the ballot.
"We rescued our economy, regained our liberty, and together we saved our country on that magnificent night 365 days ago," Trump told supporters in Miami.
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