President Donald Trump called Democratic Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson a “communist,” warning that her policies could force him to move the 2026 FIFA World Cup out of the city.
“If we think there’s gonna be a sign of any trouble, I would ask Johnny to move that to a different city. We have a lot of cities that would love to have it, number one. And we’ll do it very safely,” he told reporters at the White House on Monday.
“So if we think there’s a problem in Seattle, we have a very, very liberal slash communist mayor, I would say, you know, certainly beyond just liberal. I watched her over the other weekend. Wow, I said that’s another beauty we’ve got there,” Trump remarked.
He also spoke about the economic opportunities the tournament will bring to the United States.
🚨 BREAKING: Seattle just elected a COMMUNIST mayor and as a result, President Trump announces he might MOVE the FIFA World Cup out of the city
Wow. THAT is FAFO!
"We have a communist mayor…I watched her over the weekend. Wow. That's another beauty we got there. If we think… pic.twitter.com/xnsidiSoCH
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 17, 2025
“The World Cup will also be an incredibly significant economic opportunity for countless American workers and businesses. It’s expected to drive more than $30 billion,” Trump noted. “And it’s going to create nearly 200,000 jobs.”
One of Wilson’s campaign promises include that she would establish government-run grocery stores and not allow grocery “giants” to close up shop.
“We cannot allow giant grocery chains to stomp all over our communities, close stores that will leave behind food deserts,” Wilson said.
“Together, we can build a Seattle where fresh food is for everyone, not just for those who can afford it,” she added.
“Food deserts are not natural, corporations create them when they abandon our communities.”
The Washington Post editorial board warned that Wilson “has little experience but plenty of bad ideas,” cautioning that her policies could drive businesses out of Seattle due to her support for higher minimum wages and taxes.
Wilson’s approach has drawn comparisons to Democratic New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who has pledged government-run grocery stores and buses, a $30 minimum wage, and a new agency where social workers respond to non-violent 911 calls instead of police.
Mamdani plans to create a $1.1 billion Department of Community Safety to offset police burdens by having counselors, medical professionals, and “violence interrupters” respond to certain emergencies.
Mamdani has stressed that he no longer supports defunding the NYPD and apologized during an October Fox News interview.
Mamdani: "Absolutely, I will apologize to police officers. Because this is the apology that I've been sharing with many rank and file officers. I apologize because of the fact that I'm looking to work with these officers, and I know that these officers, these men and women who… pic.twitter.com/WNqnBGlOb5
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 15, 2025
“I apologize because of the fact that I’m looking to work with these officers, and I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day.”
Trump confirmed on Sunday that he will meet with Mamdani in Washington, D.C.
“The mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us and we’ll work something out,” Trump remarked.
Trump: “The Mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us, and we’ll work something out.”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) November 17, 2025
“But he would like to come to Washington and meet, and we’ll work something out. We want to see everything work out well for New York.”
Mamdani signaled a willingness to communicate with the president. “I will be reaching out to the White House as we prepare to actually take office because this is a relationship that will be critical to the success of the city,” he told NBC New York.
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“I’ll say that I’m here to work for the benefit of everyone who calls the city home and that wherever there is a possibility for working together towards that end, I’m ready. And if it’s to the expense of those New Yorkers, I will fight it.”
Outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued stark warnings for Jewish residents about Mamdani’s incoming administration.
“If I were a Jewish New Yorker, I’d be concerned about my children,” Adams said in Tel Aviv. “There is something to be worried about.”
During an event hosted by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, Adams further highlighted the cultural shift around antisemitism.
Mayor Adams, speaking about rising antisemitism, at first open-to-press event in Israel:
“If I was a Jewish New Yorker with children, I would be concerned right now..
“I'm not just the mayor that's leaving office, I'm your brother, and we will continue to stand side by side.” pic.twitter.com/7wtrg0ory8
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) November 16, 2025
“We need to be honest about the moment and cannot sugarcoat it,” he commented.
“The New York Jewish community must prepare themselves. This is a period where you need to be conscious about the level of global hostility towards the Jewish community.”
Pressed again, Adams warned, “Everything is not fine. If you say everything is fine, you are setting yourself up for failure.”
He described a troubling trend in which antisemitism is increasingly normalized.
“It is now cool and hip to be antisemitic,” he said, recalling when a teenager called him a Zionist and demanded Israel’s be destroyed.
“They hijacked our young people. Their plan was well executed. Now we need a professional plan to fight back.”
