NEW YORK — Donald Trump dismissed a recent warning from New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who vowed to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in the city.
The former president, speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, called the threat “a political stunt” and “a complete lack of understanding regarding how international diplomacy works.”
Mamdani, a Democratic state assemblyman, sparked the controversy this week while campaigning. He told supporters that if elected mayor, he would use the NYPD to execute an arrest warrant against Netanyahu, citing the International Criminal Court’s recent actions regarding the conflict in Gaza.
The remarks have exposed deep divisions within the New York City electorate. While progressive activists have cheered the stance as a commitment to international law, legal experts and city officials were quick to point out the logistical and constitutional reality: a mayor has no authority to override federal foreign policy or execute international arrest warrants.
“It’s not just illegal; it’s absurd,” said a former federal prosecutor who asked to remain anonymous. “The NYPD doesn’t have jurisdiction over the head of a foreign state. The State Department handles these protocols, not City Hall.”
Trump’s dismissal of the threat aligns with his broader stance on the U.S.-Israel relationship. He has frequently criticized the ICC’s involvement in the Middle East, labeling it an overreach that undermines sovereign nations.
The rhetoric from both sides underscores the volatility of the upcoming mayoral race. Candidates are increasingly pressured to take hardline positions on the Israel-Hamas war, a topic that has seen protests erupt across New York’s college campuses and streets for months.
Mamdani’s campaign has yet to walk back the comments, despite the mounting criticism from both sides of the aisle. For now, the threat remains a talking point in a race defined by polarizing rhetoric, even if it holds no weight in a real courtroom.
