On Friday, Donald Trump took to his Truth Social account to share a satirical article from The Babylon Bee titled "Cubans Living in New York Begin Boarding Rafts to Escape Communism Again." The piece humorously shifts the iconic image of Cuban rafters to the waters of Manhattan's East River, critiquing socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
With a comedic tone, the satire describes how Cuban Americans in the city have allegedly started crafting makeshift rafts from old furniture to flee the "communism" that, according to the conservative site’s narrative, Mamdani’s government represents.
Trump’s sharing of the article transforms the joke into a political message aimed at his supporters, reinforcing his comparison between the New York mayor’s democratic socialism and the communist regimes that drove thousands of Cubans to sea over the decades.
In the article, a fictional character named "Juan Rodríguez," a successful Cuban immigrant on Wall Street, states, "I don't care where I go, but it can't be here. I escaped Cuba years ago to find a better life, but now communism is chasing me again."
The same character adds, "It's like that movie Final Destination. You can't escape communism. It keeps coming. It follows a pattern, chasing the people it has chosen. We're all going to run out of bread if we don't get out of here."
Another character, "Ricky Ricardo"—not to be confused with the one from the I Love Lucy series—declares, "I'm definitely not going to Canada, no way. Maybe Greenland? I don't know. I just hope this thing holds."
The Babylon Bee is a U.S.-based website known for its conservative and evangelical Christian slant on political and religious satire.
Historical Resonance for Cuban Americans
The analogy holds profound historical significance for the Cuban American community. Since the 1960s, with peaks in 1980 during the Mariel boatlift and in 1994 during the rafter crisis, tens of thousands of Cubans risked their lives on makeshift vessels to flee Fidel Castro’s regime.
Mamdani, aged 34, won New York City’s mayoral race on November 4, 2025, and took office on January 2, 2026, placing his hand on the Quran, becoming the city's first Muslim and South Asian mayor, and the youngest since 1892.
He makes no secret of his political stance: "I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist."
Mamdani's Controversial Policies
His proposals, which include free bus services, universal childcare, rent freezes, and municipally owned supermarkets, have been consistently labeled "communist" by Trump since Mamdani's electoral victory.
The Cuban and Venezuelan communities in New York have grown increasingly wary, fueled by Mamdani’s refusal to explicitly label Miguel Díaz-Canel and Nicolás Maduro as "dictators."
Trump, on the other hand, has been leveraging this narrative for months. He proclaimed the first week of November 2025 as Anticommunist Week in the U.S., threatened to slash around $7.4 billion in federal funds to New York, and declared Miami as a haven for those fleeing communism in the city, directly appealing to the historically Republican-supporting Cuban and Venezuelan communities.
"For generations, Miami has been a refuge for those fleeing communist tyranny," Trump remarked on November 6, 2025, just days after Mamdani's win.
FAQs on Trump and Mamdani's Political Dynamics
What is the main theme of the satirical article shared by Trump?
The satirical article imagines Cuban Americans in New York fleeing Mayor Mamdani's policies, likening them to communism, in a humorous critique.
Why are Mamdani's policies controversial among some communities?
Mamdani’s policies, such as free public services and rent control, have been labeled as "communist" by critics, including Trump, causing distrust among Cuban and Venezuelan communities.
How has Trump responded to Mamdani's election as mayor?
Trump has criticized Mamdani's policies, threatened to cut federal funds to New York, and positioned Miami as a refuge for those opposing Mamdani's administration.