Administration

Trump claims Mamdani is ‘destroying New York’ with proposed second-home tax

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by Sarah Davis - 04/16/26 9:49 PM ET

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by Sarah Davis - 04/16/26 9:49 PM ET

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President Trump claimed that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) is “destroying” the city with his new proposed tax on second homes — perhaps his most direct criticism of the Big Apple’s leader since their two friendly White House meetings months ago.

The president responded to the mayor’s plan in a Thursday post on Truth Social.

“Sadly, Mayor Mamdani is DESTROYING New York! It has no chance! The United States of America should not contribute to its failure,” Trump wrote on the social platform.

“It will only get WORSE. The TAX, TAX, TAX Policies are SO WRONG,” he continued. “People are fleeing. They must change their ways, AND FAST. History has proven, THIS ‘STUFF’ JUST DOESN’T WORK.”

The tax, which Mamdani announced jointly with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Thursday, would target secondary homes worth more than $5 million in New York City.

The Democratic leaders said the proposal will raise $500 million for the city.

“If you can afford a $5 million second home that sits empty most of the year, you can afford to contribute like every other New Yorker,” Hochul said in a statement.

Mamdani said during a Thursday press conference that the proposal will contribute to the governor’s and his efforts to reduce the city’s budget deficit, which is estimated to reach $5.4 billion throughout this next fiscal year.

“We’re talking about the levels of wealth that are storing themselves here in New York City all at the time at which our city is facing a generational fiscal crisis, so I think that this is something worthy of celebration as part of the work that we are doing with the governor,” the mayor told reporters.

The Democrat has had a tumultuous relationship with Trump, calling him a “despot” during his mayoral campaign. The president has labeled Mamdani, a democratic socialist, a “communist.”

However, the two political figures have also found common ground on the issue of affordability, with the president espousing a surprisingly positive tone about the mayor during the pair’s first Oval Office meeting last November. Mamdani and Trump met again at the White House in February, with both politicians reporting a positive meeting.

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