共和党候选人正试图利用这位极左翼市长，应对日益艰难的中期选举。
GOP candidates are trying to leverage the far-left mayor amid an increasingly tough midterm election.
纽约州奥尔巴尼——唐纳德·特朗普总统与纽约市市长佐赫兰·曼达尼长期以来的亲密交情，打乱了共和党人集体将这名民主社会主义者塑造成中期选举“假想敌”的努力。
ALBANY, New York — President Donald Trump’s long-term bromance with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has scrambled Republicans’ collective effort to make the democratic socialist the boogeyman of the midterm elections.
全国各地的共和党候选人都试图将对手与这位34岁的市长、他的反以色列立场以及他的社会主义理念挂钩——他们押注美国选民会拒绝民主党日益左倾的路线。
GOP candidates across the country have sought to tie their opponents to the 34-year-old mayor, his anti-Israel views and his brand of socialism — a bet that American voters will reject the Democratic Party’s leftward tilt.
这项行动真正始于去年。当时，众议院共和党的竞选机构几乎立即在全国49个摇摆席位投放广告，将当时的候任市长与民主党候选人联系在一起，并警告称“一场‘激进左翼地震’刚刚袭击美国”。在纽约市一个竞争激烈的郊区选区争夺战中，现任众议员迈克·劳勒面临民主党挑战者凯特·康利的挑战，一个众议院共和党超级政治行动委员会投放广告，将康利与曼达尼联系起来。在长岛，共和党人迈克·利佩特里猛烈抨击曼达尼的“社会主义愿望清单”。然而，在对共和党基本盘仍拥有巨大影响力的特朗普总统周一站到曼达尼身旁，在格蕾西庄园称这位市长“潜力巨大”，并表示希望他取得成功之后，此类攻击就难进行得多了。总统的这番赞许，对正苦苦维持国会控制权的共和党而言，时机再糟不过。
The effort began in earnest last year when the House Republicans’ campaign arm wasted little time launching ads in 49 swing seats nationwide, tying the then-mayor elect to Democratic candidates and warning that a “radical-left earthquake just hit America.” In the race for a hotly contested suburban New York City district held by Rep. Mike Lawler, a House GOP super PAC launched an ad linking his Democratic challenger Cait Conley to the mayor. On Long Island, Republican Mike LiPetri has slammed Mamdani’s “socialist wish list.” Such attacks are significantly harder to make after Trump, who retains tremendous sway over the Republican base, stood beside Mamdani at Gracie Mansion on Monday and said the mayor has “great potential” and that he’s rooting for his success. The plaudits from the president could not have come at a worse time for a GOP struggling to maintain control of Congress.
“马姆达尼是眼下地球上最受欢迎的政治人物之一。”为纽约州共和党州长候选人布鲁斯·布莱克曼效力的共和党操盘手查平·费伊说，“他嘴里说出的每一句话我都反对，但他长得帅，懂得如何操纵媒体，是一个极其危险的威胁。不过，在政治中，你需要一个像样的反派来与你对决，而他实在算不上一个像样的反派。”即便如此，共和党人仍未调整策略。共和党的竞选团队并不一定认为，选民会specifically排斥马姆达尼本人；他们更大的担忧是，在一系列由美国民主社会主义者支持的候选人赢得初选后，极左翼势力正在蓬勃发展这一印象。与这股不断高涨的社会主义浪潮作斗争，被视为比直接与纽约市市长本人竞争容易得多。
“Mamdani is one of the most popular politicians on planet earth right now,” said Chapin Fay, a GOP operative working for a super PAC allied with New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman. “Everything that comes out of his mouth I stand against, but he’s good looking, he knows how to operate the media, he’s an incredibly dangerous threat. But you need a good villain to run against in politics, and he’s just not a good villain.” Still, Republicans aren’t making adjustments. GOP campaigns don’t necessarily expect voters to be turned off by Mamdani specifically, but by a broader concern over the perception that the far left is surging after a string of primary victories by candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Running against a rising socialist tide is viewed as much easier than competing against the New York City mayor himself.
“这种态势没有改变。”一名获准匿名讨论竞选策略的纽约州共和党操盘手说，“这在纽约市郊区仍然是一个非常突出的议题。”白宫发言人在一份声明中大力宣传特朗普的经济成绩，包括减税和应对处方药成本等问题。
“That dynamic hasn’t changed,” said one New York Republican operative who was granted anonymity to discuss strategy. “It’s still a very salient issue in the New York City suburbs.” In a statement, a White House spokesperson touted Trump’s economic record, including tax cuts and addressing prescription drug costs.
“总统的首要任务始终是改善美国各地民众的生活。”白宫发言人艾莉森·舒斯特说。
“The President’s top priority is always improving the lives of Americans everywhere,” White House spokesperson Allison Schuster said.
两位极具两极化色彩的政治人物走到一起，形成了一种令人不适的组合；对于那些在艰难选区参选、试图把温和派对手与马姆达尼的极左形象捆绑在一起的共和党人来说，这无异于一幅不受欢迎的分屏画面。两人的关系实际上抵消了原本可能成为共和党有力武器的一种打法，而随着中期选举的前景对共和党越来越不利，这种武器本可发挥重要作用。民调显示，在共和党优势明显的深红州，各选区的竞争正趋于胶着；与此同时，那些席位处于摇摆状态的共和党人需要尽可能搜集一切政治弹药，以反击民主党围绕生活成本发动的攻势。
The jarring union between two deeply polarizing politicians is an unwelcome splitscreen for Republicans in tough races trying to yoke their moderate opponents to Mamdani’s hard-left image. And their bond has effectively neutralized what could have been a potent weapon for Republicans in a midterm election that increasingly appears dire for the GOP. Polls are showing tightening races in deep red states, while swing seat Republicans need every bit of political ammunition they can muster to counter Democratic attacks over affordability.
这一难题对身处深蓝纽约州的共和党人而言尤其复杂。该州有多个摇摆选区，这些选区即将产生的选举结果将决定哪一党控制众议院，也会影响总统任内最后两年的施政走向。
The conundrum is particularly complicated for Republicans in deep blue New York, home to several swing districts where the upcoming electoral outcomes stand to determine which party controls the House and the direction of the president’s final two years in office.
对布莱克曼来说，这尤其是个棘手难题。他正对民主党州长凯茜·霍胡尔打一场难度极高的竞选战，并试图把这位现任州长塑造成马姆达尼的同路人。布莱克曼的竞选团队发布了人工智能生成的视频，画面中布莱克曼与马姆达尼并肩行走，指责两人共同导致纽约市走向毁灭。他还斥责州长帮助充实该市财政，结果反而为市长的议程创造了条件。
It’s an especially thorny challenge for Blakeman, who’s running an uphill campaign against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and has tried to paint the incumbent as a Mamdani fellow traveler. Blakeman’s campaign has released artificial intelligence-generated videos of Blakeman and Mamdani walking side by side, accusing them both of enabling New York City’s destruction. He’s admonished the governor for helping bolster the city’s finances — enabling the mayor’s agenda as a result.
共和党策略师警告称，一旦失去马姆达尼这个有效的攻击对象，布莱克曼就难以再对领先民调的民主党州长提出这一论点了。
Losing Mamdani as an effective foil, GOP strategists warn, undermines Blakeman’s ability to make that argument against the Democratic governor, who’s leading in the polls.
一位获准匿名、可以坦率评论这一局面的共和党人士说：“这对他非常不利。他本应打出‘特朗普牌’，可特朗普却在称赞马姆达尼是个很有潜力的人。这似乎真的震动了全州上下，也从根本上动摇了他整个竞选的基础。”一天后，布莱克曼对格雷西庄园上演的这场亲密互动不以为然。他向记者坚称，这场互动对州长竞选毫无影响，也没有影响他把霍胡尔描绘成与市长结盟的极左激进分子的努力。
“It’s very bad for him,” said a Republican operative granted anonymity to speak frankly about the dynamic. “He’s supposed to be the Trump guy and here’s Trump praising Mamdani as a guy with a lot of potential. It seems to have really shocked people all over the state. It really deflates his entire campaign basis.” Blakeman shrugged off the Gracie Mansion lovefest, insisting to reporters a day later that it had no impact on the race — or his effort to paint Hochul as a far-left radical aligned with the mayor.
“总统是政府官员。他是美国政府级别最高的官员，”布莱克曼说，“市长也是政府官员，所以我预计他们两人会进行会谈。”
“The president is a government official. He’s the highest government official in the United States,” Blakeman said. “And the mayor’s a government official, so I expect that the two of them would talk.”
特朗普与曼达尼的会面并非第一次让某位共和党人将纽约市市长纳入其竞选的努力化为泡影。埃莉丝·斯特凡尼克众议员那场短暂的州长竞选，部分正是因这场亲密互动而提前夭折；特朗普拒绝再次宣称曼达尼是“圣战分子”。对于许多一直追随特朗普的人来说，这种关系清楚地表明，总统仍对自己的故乡念念不忘；数十年来，他一直是纽约市一位举足轻重的房地产开发商。
It’s not the first time a Trump-Mamdani sitdown sapped a Republican’s effort to inject the New York City mayor into their campaign. Rep. Elise Stefanik’s short-lived gubernatorial campaign was short-circuited in part by the lovefest, when the president declined to repeat her claim that Mamdani is “a jihadist.” For many of those who’ve been in Trump’s orbit, the relationship is a broad reminder that the president continues to harbor a fixation with his hometown where for decades he was a larger-than-life real estate developer.
“有一点你永远可以确信：尽管发生了这一切，唐纳德·特朗普依然热爱纽约市，”特朗普政府前官员、共和党战略师迈克尔·卡普托说，“我认为他永远不会放弃[纽约市]。如果这让一些人的竞选变得有点困难，我很抱歉，但这一因素早在50年前便已根植于他的总统生涯之中。”在曼哈顿从事房地产开发的那些年，特朗普曾一度考虑竞选市长和州长；在其人生的大部分时间里，他都试图影响纽约市的命运。在去年市长选举中，他支持曼达尼的主要对手安德鲁·科莫，并警告这个全球金融中心的选民不要选举社会主义者。特朗普政府曾试图叫停一项旨在缓解交通拥堵的曼哈顿道路收费方案，但未能成功。联邦政府推动重建如地下迷宫般的宾夕法尼亚车站，而该项目最终可能会冠上总统的名字。
“One thing you can always count on is that Donald Trump, in spite of everything, loves New York City,” said Michael Caputo, a former Trump administration official and Republican strategist. “I don’t think he’d ever give up on [New York City]. If that makes it a little difficult for some people in their races, I’m sorry, but that was baked into this presidency 50 years ago.” Trump, who had toyed with running for mayor and governor during his days as a Manhattan developer, has tried to influence New York City’s fate throughout much of his life. He endorsed Mamdani’s main foe in last year’s mayoral election, Andrew Cuomo, warning voters in the financial capital of the world to not elect a socialist. His administration tried unsuccessfully to halt a Manhattan toll plan meant to reduce traffic. And the federal government’s push to redevelop the catacomb-like Penn Station may end up with the president’s name on it.
他与曼达尼的多次会面，也映衬出他对纽约市五个区持续而强烈的兴趣。
His meetings with Mamdani have reflected back that intense interest in the five boroughs.
特朗普与曼达尼的融洽关系早在几个月前便已形成。当时，总统与即将上任的“哥谭”市长在富兰克林·罗斯福的肖像前合影留念。2月两人第二次会面时，曼达尼送给特朗普一份伪造的小报头版，头版标题为“特朗普致纽约市：让我们来建设”。两人还讨论了如何修改纽约市繁复难懂的土地分区法规，以推动开发建设。
The Trump-Mamdani rapport was forged months ago during their first Oval Office meeting in November. There, the president and the incoming Gotham mayor posed in front of Franklin Roosevelt’s portrait. At their second meeting in February, Mamdani gifted Trump a fake tabloid front page with the headline “Trump to City: Let’s Build” and discussed how to change New York City’s byzantine zoning laws to enable development.
最近一次会面中，两人讨论了在皇后区一处铁路场地上建设数千套住房。
During their most recent meeting the two men discussed building thousands of housing units on top of a Queens rail yard.
“他或许不是纽约市最受欢迎的居民之一，但他绝不会放弃纽约市。无论谁当市长，这一点都不会改变。”卡普托说。出于类似原因，尽管多数民主党人认为特朗普很有负能量，曼达尼与这位总统的多次殷勤会面并未给他带来多少政治风险。这位市长上任时几乎没有行政经验，一直承受着证明自己能够治政的压力。特朗普的联邦政府可以提供资金，帮助他在市政层面取得政绩。与总统一样，曼达尼也拥有一批忠实而热情的 supporting者。
“He may not be one of the city’s most popular residents, but he’s never going to quit on New York City,” Caputo said. “It’s never going to matter who the mayor is.” For similar reasons Mamdani has faced little political downside from the solicitous meetings with a president who most Democrats view with toxicity. The mayor entered office with scant executive experience and has been under pressure to prove he can govern. Trump’s federal government can provide money to help deliver wins for him in City Hall. Much like the president, Mamdani maintains support from an enthusiastic base.
“没有危险——他的基本盘会对此完全放行，”民主党战略家特里普·杨说。“没有任何进步派组织会因此批评曼达尼。他已经证明自己在任初期取得了一些进展，也展现出了与特朗普打交道的潜力。”共和党竞选阵营利用曼达尼充当反派的兴趣已经开始消退。对于关注公共安全和反犹主义的纽约市郊区选民而言，这位市长仍是一个 divisive 人物。锡耶纳研究所最近的一项poll显示，曼达尼在纽约市的好感度为60%，但郊区选民中持相同看法者仅占43%。
“There’s no danger — his base gives him a complete pass for this,” Democratic strategist Trip Yang said. “There’s no progressive organization that would criticize Mamdani for this. He’s been able to demonstrate some early progress and some potential with Trump.” Interest has already started to wane in leveraging Mamdani as a villain in Republican campaigns. For suburban New York City voters concerned about public safety and antisemitism, the mayor remains a divisive figure. While a recent Siena Research Institute poll found he has a 60% favorable rating in New York City, only 43% of voters in the suburbs feel the same way.
一些共和党人认为，与曼达尼的会面可能有助于磨掉特朗普身上的一些棱角，同时削弱民主党人妖魔化总统的努力。
And some Republicans believe the meetings with Mamdani may have the effect of sanding down some of Trump’s rougher edges — weakening Democratic efforts to demonize the president in the process.
“这话对两边都成立，”前共和党众议员约翰·斯威尼说，“如果把一个人说成是恶棍，就等于把另一边的人也说成是恶棍。”
“It works both ways,” former GOP Rep. John Sweeney said. “If one guy is a boogeyman, the other guy is a boogeyman on the other side.”