President Donald Trump condemned New York City lawmakers for voting to eliminate Central Park’s horse-drawn carriages, putting him at odds with Mayor Zohran Mamdani over a tourist attraction that has operated for generations.
The legislation cleared the City Council Thursday with 40 members in favor and seven opposed. If signed as promised by Mamdani’s office, the measure will bring the rides to an end by June 2028.
The decision struck a personal chord with Trump, whose hometown has offered carriage excursions through Central Park for more than 150 years.
“So sad to see the beloved Central Park Horse-drawn Carriage Industry ending after over a century, based largely on one tragic accident,” he lamented on Truth Social.
Trump contrasted the planned elimination of carriages with the city’s treatment of automobiles following traffic collisions.
“When there is a car accident in the area, of which there are many, they don’t stop cars from entering the park. So why would they stop the carriages?” he questioned.
In another message, the president blamed “political reasons” for the Council’s action and mourned the possible loss of what he called “a quintessential New York experience.”
The campaign to prohibit the rides gained momentum after an accident that claimed the life of Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old visitor from India.
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His family appealed directly to New York lawmakers, explaining that they had considered the carriage excursion safe before the young tourist jumped from a runaway carriage last spring and died.
His death was believed to be the first involving a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park since the rides began.
At Thursday’s gathering with elected officials and animal welfare supporters, Mahajan’s uncle, Gaurav Mahajan, welcomed the outcome.
“The hour of justice has finally arrived,” he proclaimed.
More than 150 carriage drivers now face the prospect of losing their livelihoods, with no guaranteed financial settlement from the city.
The Transport Workers Union is preparing to challenge the measure in federal court and has discussed requesting a temporary restraining order.
Union officials maintain that Council Speaker Julie Menin did not adequately involve drivers in developing a law that directly affects their income.
Lawmakers also rejected an attempt to give the industry until January 2030 before shutting down the rides.
Mamdani’s administration must produce a plan for displaced workers by next April, although the legislation leaves open how much, if anything, the city will pay them.
Affected drivers would receive access to assistance intended to help them pursue employment elsewhere, including career guidance, educational opportunities and connections to prospective employers. The measure does not guarantee that those services will result in new jobs or provide direct financial compensation.
Menin contends those provisions represent stronger employment safeguards than earlier versions of the measure. She has also promised a vigorous defense if opponents bring the anticipated lawsuit.
“We made changes to legislation to beef up worker protection,” Menin maintained Thursday.
“These workers deserve to be protected,” she added, defending her position that horse-drawn vehicles no longer belong amid Central Park’s heavy pedestrian, bicycle and tourist activity.
City Hall has begun considering potential compensation arrangements and ways to help workers transition into other occupations, according to the mayor’s office.
Bill de Blasio’s attempt to eliminate carriage rides collapsed amid resistance from organized labor and a publicity campaign involving actor Liam Neeson, despite the former mayor’s promise to ban them upon taking office.
Eric Adams revisited the possibility during his final period as mayor, but his proposal never gained enough traction to become law.
Despite receiving nearly 100 measures since January, Mamdani has personally approved only one during his first 10 months as mayor, the New York Post reported Thursday.
Several other bills became law without his signature. By taking neither action on those measures within the city’s four-week window for approval or veto, Mamdani allowed them to take effect automatically.
The unsigned legislation includes measures affecting household expenses and public services, including expanded childcare access and rental assistance.
Older residents are also covered by a measure requiring wellness checks when the temperature exceeds 95 degrees.
The single measure he personally signed, according to an August City Hall announcement, permits restaurants to offer outdoor dining on public streets throughout the year.
Anonymous municipal insiders have questioned whether the administration’s interest in producing online videos has interfered with ordinary government work.
One critic characterized the approach as “lazy government.” Another accused the administration of sacrificing time intended for official meetings so staff members and the mayor could develop ideas for social media productions.
The mayor regularly appears in TikTok content and comedy sketches, according to the Post.
Affordability and healthcare policies also featured in Mamdani’s Tuesday endorsement of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
During a news conference, Mamdani connected El-Sayed’s proposals to his own priorities for New Yorkers.
“I think that his victory and the victory of Democrats across this country is of critical importance to our city,” Mamdani explained.
.@NYCMayor Mamdani on U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI): "His victory…is of critical importance to our city, because what it also indicates is a willingness to chart a new course in Washington that has working people at the heart of it." pic.twitter.com/cg8veuDCI1
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 20, 2026
He identified affordability and healthcare as common priorities, citing El-Sayed’s support for Medicare for All and opposition to money from super PACs influencing elections.
The mayor nevertheless maintained that his governing attention remains directed toward New York City’s five boroughs.
Federal immigration officers could lose access to overnight parking at privately operated garages and lots if property owners honor a request backed by Mamdani and approximately 100 Democratic officials.
The appeal, detailed by Gothamist, encourages businesses to refuse parking arrangements for Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.
“Make it known to ICE that it is not authorized to use your garages and lots,” Mamdani urged in the letter.
The effort followed an immigration enforcement encounter in which Dominican national Oscar Belgal was slightly wounded.
Reporting about the incident alleged that Belgal tried to run down federal agents with his vehicle, potentially injuring or killing them. The account does not establish those allegations as judicial findings.
The letter also carried the names of Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and numerous state and municipal Democratic officials.
