Sadiq Khan praises Donald Trump's enemy Mamdani after New York City mayor election victory

Sadiq Khan has praised new New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (Image: New York/London)

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has stoked tensions with Donald Trump by praising Zohran Mamdani's election as New York City mayor, hailing the result as a victory of "hope over fear" and likening it to London's resistance against what he sees as the US president's divisive policies. Mr Mamdani, the 34-year-old Democratic socialist state assemblyman, beat former New York governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa on Tuesday, securing a 9% lead with 90% of votes counted.

The contest drew a record turnout of more than two million ballots – the highest in a mayoral election for more than 50 years, according to the city's Board of Elections. Mr Mamdani will be New York's first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage, the first born in Africa (Uganda), and the youngest in more than a century when he takes office on January 1.

Born to Ugandan-Indian parents and a US citizen since 2018, Mr Mamdani built his campaign on affordability and progressive reform, vowing to restore power to working-class residents amid soaring living costs.

Sir Sadiq Khan congratulated Mr Mamdani on X. He said: "New York has followed London in choosing hope over fear in electing Democrat Zohran Mamdani as the city's new mayor.

"New Yorkers faced a clear choice – between hope and fear – and just like we've seen in London – hope won."

His remarks are unlikely to go unnoticed by the White House. The feud between the pair dates back to to 2016, when Mr Trump imposed his so-called "Muslim ban" shortly after taking office. This prompted Sir Sadiq – himself London's first Muslim mayor – to defend the city's diversity and label the policy "hateful and divisive”.

Donald Trump has branded Mr Mamdani a 'Jew hater' and a 'communist' (Image: Getty)

Mr Trump retaliated with tweets calling Sir Sadiq Khan a "stone cold loser" and "very stupid". The barbs escalated in 2017 amid the London Bridge terror attack, when Mr Trump mocked Sir Sadiq Khan for urging calm, tweeting: "We must stop being politically correct and protect the Constitution... Put up your guard and watch, please.”

During Mr Trump's 2018 UK state visit, Sir Sadiq Khan approved the flight plan for a giant inflatable Trump baby blimp. As recently as 2019, Mr Trump suggested Sir Sadiq should be "impeached" or removed from office over crime rates in London.

Mr Trump had endorsed Mr Cuomo, a centrist ex-Democrat running as an independent after a scandal-plagued tenure, and unleashed attacks on Truth Social, saying: "Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!”

The comment was an apparent reference to Mr Mamdani’s criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which he has described as genocide, and his pledge to honour an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Trump added: "Zohran Mamdani is a Communist candidate who will cause total collapse in New York City. "It is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required.”

Andrew Cuomo concedes defeat (Image: Getty Images)

He threatened to slash federal funding to New York, speculated on deporting the immigrant mayor-elect and floated a federal takeover. Late on Tuesday, as results emerged, Mr Trump posted: “…AND SO IT BEGINS!”

In his Brooklyn victory speech to cheering crowds, with Bad Bunny playing in the background, Mr Mamdani directly confronted his antagonist. He said: "New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant.

"If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him."

Mr Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations he denies, lost the Democratic primary in June by 13 points and struggled in the general election.

Mr Cuomo said: "A caution flag that we are headed down a dangerous, dangerous road" of unkeepable promises. He conceded from a subdued Midtown Manhattan venue and offered to aid the transition.

Mr Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels vigilante group, conceded shortly after polls closed. Mr Sliwa said: "Good luck [to Mr Mamdani] because if he does well, we do well.

"If you try to implement socialism, if you try to render our police weak and impotent, if you forsake the people’s public safety, we will become the mayor-elect and his supporters' worst enemies."

Mr Mamdani's agenda includes free childcare, city-run bus services and grocery stores, and a new Department of Community Safety deploying mental health workers for some emergency calls instead of police.

Critics question funding, given Democratic governor Kathy Hochul's opposition to his proposed tax hikes on the wealthy, and his limited experience, less than five years in the state legislature. He once called for defunding the "racist, anti-queer rogue" New York Police Department in 2020, but has since apologised and pledged to retain Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

The race followed incumbent Eric Adams's withdrawal from the primary amid a dismissed federal corruption probe. Mr Mamdani's win significantly bolsters the Democratic Party’s progressive wing.