DeSantis Proposes Border Measures Amid New York City Political Shifts

By James Morley III | Wednesday, 05 November 2025 04:24 PM EST

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched an online survey Tuesday, querying residents on how to address New Yorkers relocating from the city following the election of Democrat socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor. The governor’s message on X read, “Floridians — response to the Mamdani election in NYC should be to: Build an FL border wall, Tariff all transplants, Recruit new transplants.”

DeSantis responded to a post from Republican Florida state Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, who urged, “Florida should tariff everyone fleeing NYC, Gov @RonDeSantis.” A day earlier, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned that New Yorkers seeking to escape Mamdani’s socialist administration would face a 100% tariff if they attempted to move to Texas, though he did not explain enforcement mechanisms. The statement gained traction among other Republican leaders.

A week before Election Day, Tesla CEO Elon Musk predicted Mamdani would become “the future of the Democratic Party.” DeSantis countered, “Assuming he gets elected, Mamdani will be the most prominent Democrat in America the day he takes office.” He added, “Voters across the country will be able to watch his leftist agenda in action and know that his path is the Democrat path nationally. It will be good for Republicans, bad for New York City.”

President Donald Trump echoed similar sentiments during a speech at the America Business Forum in Miami on Wednesday, claiming, “Now the Democrats are so extreme that Miami will soon be the refuge for those fleeing communism in New York City. They flee.” Trump accused Democratic leaders of attempting to transform America into “a communist Cuba or a socialist Venezuela,” citing the fates of those nations.