America Is More Than a Tale of Two Cities

What Trump does in D.C. and what Mamdani might do in NYC will have national implications. But there is more to this great nation than its political and economic capitals.

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Left: New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks at an event to celebrate his endorsement from District Council 37, New York’s City’s largest labor union, in New York City, July 15, 2025. Right: President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of senior military leaders convened by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., September 30, 2025.

Adam Gray, Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

One could be forgiven for thinking, based on much of the news coverage of the past year or so, that there were only two cities of any significance in the United States: Washington, D.C., and New York City.

The nation’s actual capital, once again dominated by Donald Trump from the White House, has absorbed much media attention. And the nation’s financial capital and largest city, now facing the prospect of having, in Zohran Mamdani, its most left-wing mayor ever, has taken up a goodly portion of the rest.

Jack Butler

About the Author

Jack Butler

Jack Butler is a former submissions editor at National Review.

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