‘Between hope and fear’: London mayor Sadiq Khan's subtle dig at Trump in Zohran Mamdani message

Sadiq Khan shares many similarities with Zohran Mamdani, the most notable of which is being frequently criticised by US President Donald Trump.

London mayor Sadiq Khan on Wednesday congratulated Zohran Mamdani, who has been elected as his New York City counterpart, calling the election a win for “hope”.

Both Sadiq Khan and Zohran Mamdani have faced abuse for their Muslim and immigrant identity, as the two are the first of their religion to win the mayoral polls in their cities.(PTI/ Reuters)

Khan shares many similarities with Mamdani, the most notable of which is being frequently criticised by US President Donald Trump. Apparently referencing the Republican, Khan said that the New York mayoral poll was a “choice between hope and fear”.

“New Yorkers faced a clear choice - between hope and fear - and just like we've seen in London - hope won. Huge congratulations to @ZohranKMamdani on his historic campaign,” Sadiq Khan wrote on his personal X handle.

Trump has called Zohran Mamdani, who calls himself a Democratic Socialist, a “pure communist”. It is a big accusation in a country like the United States, where communism is seen as the enemy.

Sadiq Khan, who has Pakistani heritage, has also faced vitriol from Trump, who called him a “stone-cold loser” who has done “a terrible job” as the mayor of London.

Both have also faced abuse for their Muslim and immigrant identity, as the two are the first of their religion to win the mayoral polls in their cities. They have both been called “Hamas supporters” for their support of Palestinian statehood.

But there are differences too. While Sadiq Khan is an establishment-centrist who was previously a lawmaker for the Labour Party, Zohran Mamdani leans slightly more to the left in his economic policies.

Zohran Mamdani’s message to Donald Trump

In his fiery victory speech, a defiant Zohran Mamdani called on Donald Trump to “turn the volume up” to listen in to the loud cheers from supporters.

“New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant,” he said.

Born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani moved to New York City with his family when he was seven and became a naturalised US citizen in 2018.