Trump Claims Democrats Won Because He ‘Wasn’t On The Ballot’ Following Mamdani's Victory

In the aftermath of Tuesday's elections, Donald Trump suggested that Democrats' success was largely due to his absence from the ballot. This comment came shortly after the victory of New York City's Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, against former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Key Takeaways

Donald Trump attributed the election losses for Republicans to his name not being on the ballot.
He cited the government shutdown as a significant factor in the election results.
Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race, defeating Andrew Cuomo with over 50% of the votes.
Mamdani proclaimed his victory as a way of dismantling the political power that Trump represents.

Trump's Social Media Remarks

Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday after the recent election results, stating, “‘TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,’” as reported by pollsters.

Trump reinforced these claims during a breakfast meeting with Republican lawmakers at the White House on Thursday. He commented, “I think, if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor,” indicating it was detrimental for the Republicans. He noted, “And they say that I wasn’t on the ballot and that was the biggest factor. I don’t know about that. But I was honored when they said that.”

Mamdani's Historic Win

Trump’s statements coincided with a significant political shift as Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor in New York City, scored a decisive victory over Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday night.

In a surprising development, Trump had endorsed Cuomo just days earlier, expressing it was essential to vote for him regardless of personal opinions. On November 3, he stated, “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!”

Despite Trump's endorsement, Cuomo managed to garner only 41.6% of the vote, while Mamdani achieved over 50%.

After winning, Mamdani remarked on the significance of his victory, claiming it represented the downfall of a political dynasty. He asserted, “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there’s any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.”