Mamdani says he called Trump to personally object to Venezuela attack and capture of Maduro

Zohran Mamdani called Donald Trump personally to object to the U.S. military action in Venezuela, saying that the operations in South America would “directly impact New Yorkers.”

“I called the president and spoke with him directly to register my opposition to this act,” Mamdani said at a press conference Saturday, adding that he had told the president he was “opposed to a pursuit of regime change [and] to the violation of federal and international law.”

The New Yorker mayor, who officially assumed office Thursday, did not share any further information about the call, though his aides said that he had been the one to initiate the call – which was described as “brief.”

“I registered my opposition, I made it clear and we left it at that,” he said.

Mamdani, who once referred to the president as a “fascist,” also expressed his dismay at the operations online Saturday, and the intention of the administration to hold captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro at a detention center in Brooklyn.

open image in gallery

“I was briefed this morning on the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City,” Mamdani wrote on X.

“Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law.”

He added: “This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home. My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker, and my administration will continue to monitor the situation and issue relevant guidance.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment on Mamdani’s call.

open image in gallery

The clash between the mayor and the president is the first since he assumed office, but unlikely to be the last. Maduro is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center and is set to face federal drug and weapons charges in Manhattan.

He could appear in court as early as Monday, according to reports.

“The president and I have always been honest and direct with each other about places of disagreement,” Mamdani told reporters Saturday. “New Yorkers have elected me to be honest and direct and always to do so with the understanding that my job is to deliver for the people who call this city home.”

The mayor appeared to acknowledge he will have little influence over what happens to Maduro while he is held in custody, adding: “It is my responsibility that whatever actions the federal government takes, that they have a minimal impact on the day-to-day lives of New Yorkers.”

During his campaign for mayor, Mamdani was a vocal critic of other aspects of U.S. foreign policy, including the ongoing support for Israel in the Middle East, but has not often engaged with events in Latin America.