President Donald Trump on Tuesday chimed in on the results of primary elections in New York in which Democratic socialist candidates backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani have defeated their establishment opponents.
“Mayor Mamdani pulled through 3 solid Communists, and has received loud and universal applause from the Fake News Media,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Congratulations Mr. Mayor! I went 16-0 last night, helping to elect wonderful American Patriots, and the Media doesn’t say a word. Over the last two years, my endorsement has netted 259 Primary WINS, and almost no losses, with Zero media attention!!! FAKE NEWS.”
In a prior post, Trump noted that “Many Communists” are “running badly in failing Blue States.”
He continued, “The votes seem to have them doing quite well against each other. The bad news is that history has conclusively shown that the downtrodden States that they will soon be running will ONLY GET WORSE. MAGA!”
The outcomes in New York’s races highlight the strategy Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) have spent years building. Instead of focusing mostly on high-profile national elections, they are gunning for local and state positions. The group is using these smaller elections to gradually expand its power and influence in major cities across the country, according to The New York Times.
There are indications this strategy could start paying off as more voters grow disenchanted with the establishment wing of the Democratic Party. The movement’s leaders say starting with smaller races allows them to implement their legislative agenda which is ostensibly aimed at helping working families and demonstrate that their policies work.
Mamdani has emerged as a dominant force for the insurgent left as it hunts for a 2028 standard-bearer — yet he’s constitutionally ineligible, even as a growing number in the movement say they want him to run
— Will Steakin (@wsteaks) June 24, 2026
Inside DSA, running Mamdani in 2028 anyway has become a running joke: pic.twitter.com/ml4UoLlxOB
But the other issue is that this strategy will ultimately help DSA-backed figures wrest control of the Democratic Party away from an establishment that has shown repeatedly that it is out of touch with the American public.
DSA leaders are already planning to allocate millions of hours knocking on doors for 2028. Mamdani noted that the push for socialism to expand its power “starts now” after the recent primaries.