Fox News’ Peter Doocy questioned White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about whether President Donald Trump wants to see New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, deported, or to have his Department of Justice explore denaturalization proceedings against Mamdani.
“Does President Trump want Zohran Mamdani deported?” Doocy asked Leavitt during Monday’s White House press briefing.
“I haven’t heard him say that,” Leavitt responded with a chuckle. “I haven’t heard him call for that. But certainly, he does not want this individual to be elected. I was just speaking to him about it and his radical policies that will completely crush New York City, which is obviously a city that the president holds near and dear to his heart.”
“There’s this congressman, Andy Ogles. He wants the attorney general, [Pam] Bondi, to explore denaturalization proceedings because he thinks Mamdani could have misrepresented or concealed material support for terrorism based on rap lyrics he wrote in 2017. Does President Trump think this is a worthwhile use of the attorney general’s time?” Doocy then asked the press secretary.
“Well, I’ll let the president speak to that,” Leavitt replied. “I have not seen those claims, but surely, if they are true, it’s something that should be investigated.”
Mamdani, who is looking to become New York City’s first Muslim and first Indian mayor, was born in Uganda and moved to New York City with his family at the age of 7. He became a naturalized American citizen in 2018. Before his bid to become NYC mayor, Mamdani made music as “Mr. Cardamom.”
“Could President Trump see himself … working with a Mayor Mamdani, somebody who, on ‘Meet the Press’ this weekend, was given three chances to condemn the phrase ‘globalize the intifada,’ but he couldn’t?” Doocy also asked the White House press secretary.
“Yeah, look, the president is always willing to work with everyone,” Leavitt responded. “He wants to do what’s right for America, but surely someone who holds these values and is quite literally a communist and condemns every value that makes this country great — common sense, law and order, low taxes, working hard and earning your keep in this country — he’s against all of that, and I think the president would find it difficult to work with someone like that if he is elected.”
