Kerala-born Nithya Raman wins Los Angeles mayoral race: Trump warns of 'disaster'

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) warned that Democratic Socialist leadership in major American cities could lead to a "disaster", reacting to the electoral victories of progressive candidates in Los Angeles and Washington DC.

Commenting on the victories, Trump said voters might eventually seek political change if they became dissatisfied with the new leadership, but cautioned that the consequences of such policies could become difficult to reverse.

This comes after Indian-origin City Councilwoman Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in the mayoral race, securing 51.1 per cent of the votes against Bass's 48.33 per cent, according to NBC News.

"They're going to have to see what happens. I mean, there'll be a point at which, if people are unhappy, there'll be change. But, unfortunately, usually that happens so late that you'll never be able to bring back a city, or a country, or a state, you know, when it goes too far," Trump said.

Raman, 45, who is associated with the Democratic Socialists of America, unseated Bass, a former six-term congresswoman and a longstanding figure in California politics.

Trump also questioned the outcome of the Los Angeles mayoral election, expressing surprise over the defeat of conservative candidate Spencer Pratt and alleging irregularities in the electoral process.

"I watched the election in Los Angeles, and it was a very disgraceful event, because I thought Spencer Pratt would be in the final, and so did everyone else," Trump said.

"Our elections are so crooked, you have no idea," he added, without providing evidence to support his allegations.

Warning about the potential impact of progressive policies, Trump said such political approaches could have serious consequences for urban centres, states and the country.

"If you go by history, it's going to be a disaster. Going to be a disaster. I deal with a very nice gentleman. I get along with him great from New York. We'll see how that all works out," he said.

Raman's victory, alongside Janeese Lewis George's win in Washington DC and Zohran Mamdani's electoral success in New York City, means three major American cities will be led by Democratic Socialists.

Raman, who was born in Kerala in 1981, moved to the United States at the age of six. She later graduated from Harvard University and earned a master's degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).