The president, who has a history of spewing sometimes vile insults at rivals, has in recent days escalated his attacks against the 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist. Trump has threatened to arrest Mamdani, to deport him and even to take over the country’s largest city if he wins the general election in November.

Trump simply needs a distraction, Mamdani argued in a press conference with New York City labor leaders on Wednesday. “He said those things about me — someone who stands to be the first immigrant mayor of this city in generations,