
L-R: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The president said the tax would lead to the ruin of New York City.
The mayor of New York City faced two major roadblocks for his far-left plan to hit certain rentals in the city with a pied-à-terre tax.
The tax scheme from Mayor Zohran Mamdani was temporarily blocked by a Staten Island judge on Monday who sided with a group of homeowners suing against the tax.
'It is pure Amateur Hour, and it’s hard, as President of the United States of America, to sit back and watch it happen, especially to a place I once loved.'
Then President Donald Trump piled on and said he would seek to use the powers of the federal government to oppose the "dangerous" policy in his hometown.
"This dangerous political 'experiment' in New York will destroy what was once a great City and State," the president wrote on Truth Social. "It is pure Amateur Hour, and it’s hard, as President of the United States of America, to sit back and watch it happen, especially to a place I once loved. Financial, and then Social, RUIN, is a 100% certainty."
The tax would impose a penalty for non-primary residences rented out in the city and worth more than $5 million. Mamdani said it would hit larger landlords and help pay for his socialist schemes in the city.
The president went on to say he would seek to oppose the tax himself in order to save the city from certain ruin.
"I am looking to see if the Federal Government has any legal right to avert this disaster, before it is too late," he added, "for the millions of people who cherish New York and want to see it thrive, as opposed to becoming a filthy, crime ridden, decrepit place of mockery and scorn."
The Mamdani administration said i would file an appeal in order to allow the tax to continue.
"The City will continue with the pied-à-terre’s implementation," said Matt Rauschenbach, a spokesperson for Mamdani.
"We disagree with today’s ruling, but we are confident in both the pied-à-terre surcharge and the City’s ability to implement it fairly and effectively," he added.
RELATED: Prominent professor supported Mamdani's socialist scheme — until he became a target
One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit said he supported the tax but was shocked when he got a notice in the mail demanding he pay it. He says it was a mistake.
"Hopefully they can take a bit of time, take a step back, and say, well, let’s approach this in a more thoughtful way, do a little bit more diligence before we start sending out letters," said Simon Hedley.
The tax would also apply to non-primary co-ops or condominiums worth over $1 million.
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