New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani called Trump directly to oppose the arrest of Maduro, calling it an “act of war.”
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New York City’s youngest mayor in more than a century found himself making one of the most important calls of his short political career on Saturday morning.
Zoran Mamdani picked up the phone and dialed US President Trump directly to express his strong opposition to the military arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro. The conversation marked a dramatic shift in the relationship between the two leaders, who appeared to have become instant friends after Mamdani visited the White House in December.
Mamdani immediately cut to the chase during Saturday’s call, telling Trump that overnight military action in Venezuela constituted an “act of war” and represented a “blatant pursuit of regime change.”
The timing of the call was particularly notable, just three days after Mamdani was sworn in as mayor.
This morning, I was briefed on the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by U.S. forces and plans to hold them in a federal detention facility in New York City.
Unilateral attack on a sovereign nation is an act of war and violates the federal and…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) January 3, 2026
Most newly elected officials spend their first week focused on transition meetings and ceremonial duties, but Mamdani found himself thrust into international diplomacy after being briefed by U.S. special forces on Maduro’s capture.
In a phone conversation, Mamdani expressed deep concern for the safety of the Venezuelan community living across New York City. The mayor warned Trump that unilateral military action against a sovereign nation could have dangerous ripple effects on immigrant communities in America’s largest cities.
The mayor’s criticism was not limited to immediate security concerns but also addressed broader issues of legal authority and international law. He specifically questioned the administration’s legal basis for conducting military operations overseas without congressional authorization.
After the call, Mamdani made his concerns public in a detailed statement posted on X.
The statement outlined his position that military intervention aimed at overthrowing foreign leaders sets a dangerous precedent that undermines global stability and democratic principles.
Venezuela’s president and his wife were flown to New York City to face federal narco-terrorism charges, bringing the international controversy directly into Mamdani’s jurisdiction.
The development heightened the mayor’s concerns about community safety and the potential for civil unrest or targeted harassment of Venezuelan residents.
