Socialist mayors to lead LA, D.C., NYC, Seattle as Trump warns of ‘disaster’
(The Center Square) – Democratic Socialists will now lead America's two most populous cities and the nation's capital, raising questions over the Democratic Socialist of America platform.
More than 14 million people will live under the leadership of Democratic Socialist mayors in a handful of American cities.
Nithya Raman was elected mayor of Los Angeles and Janeese Lewis George was elected to lead Washington, D.C. in Tuesday's elections, both mayor-elects are Democratic Socialists.
Upon being sworn in, Raman and Lewis George will join New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson in leading major metropolises, leading critics to be concerned about how their socialist agendas will impact the cities they lead.
A lot of eyes will likely be on LA, as the city is set to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, with thousands of people from around the world set to descend on the California city, plagued with a massive homeless problem.
President Donald Trump was asked about the latest round of socialist candidates leading the major cities in the Oval Office.
The president warned that "it's going to be a disaster." He added that the socialist policies "are very tough," emphasizing, "they're very tough on a city, a state or a country, that's been proven over 1,000 years with different names."
Based on the president's comments and enthusiasm for the U.S. hosting the Summer Olympics for the first time since the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Ga., he could clash with Raman in the lead-up to the events.
The mayor-elect has already put herself at odds with the Los Angeles Police Department and its leadership; during Raman's 2020 city council run, she called for the police to be defunded.
She also has a long voting history of voting to ban homeless encampments, particularly near schools, libraries and other public spaces. However, since her time on the council and her mayoral bid, she appears to have changed course on some of her controversial policies, including bans on homeless encampments and funding law enforcement.
A bit closer to home, Mayor-elect Lewis George is likely to clash with Trump if she follows through with some of her earlier statements regarding the district participating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, youth curfews and National Guard members patrolling the district.
"Right now, using the curfew as a tool for our young people is dangerous. It is dangerous because we have federal troops who are in our city, masked ICE agents who are in our city, and these are the people enforcing this law and our young people, and these are not individuals who are trained in de-escalation, they are not accountable to D.C. residents," the mayor-elect said during a mayoral debate.
The president has taken pride in his federal takeover of the district in August 2025, touting lower crime, the removal of homeless encampments, and the cleanup of the city. Trump's move to deploy the National Guard was first met with anger by current D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, but soon softened to the idea as it appeared to help the district.
Trump has committed to keeping the National Guard deployed through the rest of his term.
While the president shared concern for his longtime home, New York City, Trump has met with Mamdani on different occasions, including inviting him to the Oval Office after his election.
"I deal with a very nice gentleman," referring to Mamdani, "I get along with him," the president told reporters. "We'll see how that works out. I'd like to make sure New York does well. But it's tough."
While millions of Americans are governed or led by Democratic Socialists, A plurality of Americans don't want to see their community move in the direction of the Democratic Socialist agenda, according to a recent poll from The Center Square .
Forty-four percent of American voters surveyed in The Center Square's Voters' Voice Poll say they would prefer to live in a city or community where Democratic Socialists have not gained influence.
Despite a plurality of Americans rejecting socialism, the cost of living appears to be the major factor behind the rise of the political ideology. New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. rank among the highest cost-of-living cities in the U.S., according to Kiplinger.
The Center Square's Voters' Voice Poll found 29% of Americans say the cost of living is the leading reason for the rise in popularity of some Democratic Socialist candidates in some cities and elections, followed by 15% who are frustrated with traditional Democratic politicians.
Not far behind, 13% of voters say it is because of younger Americans, and 12% say social media and online political organizing play a role in the rise of Democratic Socialists.
In an effort to combat the rise of socialism in the U.S., the White House released what it describes as the Real Cost of Socialism," claiming the 10-year cost to American households is $355,000, while adding that the Democratic Socialist 2026 "Workers Deserve More" policies could add $49 trillion to the federal deficit over 10 years.
