Democrats Who Haven’t Endorsed Mamdani Are Jumping to His Defense After Trump Threats

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Trump to “stop lying” after the president suggested Mamdani may be in the country illegally.

Zohran Mamdani
Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a rally at the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council headquarters in New York, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Richard Drew/AP

Democrats were quick to defend the party’s New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani this week after President Donald Trump threatened to arrest him over his campaign promises to enact sanctuary city policies.

The apparent support comes even as many have taken a wait-and-see approach to their endorsement for the self-described democratic socialist, including Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“I don’t care if you’re the president of the United States, if you threaten to unlawfully go after one of our neighbors, you’re picking a fight with 20 million New Yorkers — starting with me,” Hochul said Tuesday.