If Democrats were hoping that the Trump Administration was going to overlook their recent shift towards "democratic socialist" candidates for political office, they should probably rethink their strategy.  Federal dollars and favors are unlikely to flow forth from Washington DC into the pockets of Zohran Mamdani in NYC or Katie Wilson in Seattle.

The two newly elected mayors are perhaps more openly Marxist in their policies than any US politician in recent memory.  While Mamdani has garnered most of the limelight and media attention over the past year, Wilson has not escaped the notice of Donald Trump.  Her political ideas might be even more unhinged than Mamdani's.

Trump has recently touched on the prospect of moving the World Cup, set to take place in Seattle in 2026, out of the city.  He  referred to Wilson as “another beauty” and a “very, very liberal-slash-communist mayor.”  The World Cup is projected to bring in up to $4 billion in tourist cash to Seattle and add a much needed boost to the struggling city's economy. 

Prompted by an Oval Office reporter who asked about Wilson’s election, Trump made what appears to be his first acknowledgment of Seattle’s incoming mayor.  With FIFA President Gianni Infantino by his side, he said of Seattle hosting the games, “If we think there’s going to be the sign of any trouble, I would ask Gianni to move that to a different city. We have a lot of cities who would love to have it number one, and will do it very safely.”

Wilson's campaign appealed to Gen Z voters frustrated with Seattle's exploding cost of living crisis.  Her promises of subsidized housing to subsidized childcare to free public transit and government operated grocery stores are just the beginning. 

In a June 2025 KING5 interview, she described her vision as "Trump-Proofing Seattle" through progressive taxes to fund housing and services, explicitly criticizing corporate influence on land use.  Her strategy calls for converting corporate properties and wealth to "community control."  

In 2020 she was part of a coalition that advocated for a 50% cut to funding for Seattle police (defund the police).  She is also a proponent of continued wealth taxes which have already run a number of companies out of Seattle, causing thousands of job losses and extensive tax revenues.  In response, she argues that businesses should be prevented from leaving the city.

Trump has expressed concerns about safety in Seattle in reference to the World Cup, and his concerns are not unfounded.  In September, Vladimir Putin suggested that he might accept Trump's invitation and attend the World Cup event in the US.  With two of the most important political figures in the world visiting Seattle, security will be paramount. 

Seattle has a reputation as a radical leftist hotbed filled with people who would like to see both Trump and Putin dead; the presence of a radical leftist mayor does not add much confidence.