The president, who has a history of spewing sometimes vile insults at rivals, has in recent days escalated his attacks against the 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist. Trump has threatened to arrest Mamdani, to deport him and even to take over the country’s largest city if he wins the general election in November.

New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani was way ahead after ballots were counted last week, but the city’s ranked-choice system meant he could not clinch the nomination until second-choice votes were counted Tuesday.

Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City and a state Assembly member, called the threat "an attack on our democracy."