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Trump endorses Cuomo in NYC mayoral race, calls rival Mamdani a 'communist'
Former U.S. President Donald Trump urged New York City voters on Monday to support independent candidate Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral race, framing the contest as a choice between Cuomo and left-wing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, whom Trump labeled a "communist."
In a Truth Social post, Trump acknowledged mixed feelings about Cuomo but insisted voters "have no choice" but to back him. "He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!" the president wrote. The endorsement came after Trump warned in a Sunday television interview that he would limit federal funding to New York if Mamdani won, calling the prospect of a "communist" mayor a "waste" of taxpayer money.
Funding threats and political maneuvering
Trump's remarks echo his administration's pattern of reducing federal grants to Democratic-led areas. New York City received $7.4 billion in federal funds this fiscal year, but the president suggested that figure could shrink under a Mamdani administration. "It's gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York," he told CBS's 60 Minutes, adding that Mamdani would make former Mayor Bill de Blasio-long criticized by Trump-"look great" in comparison.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist and state assemblyman, dismissed the funding threat as "not the law" and accused Trump of prioritizing personal politics over the city's needs. "The MAGA movement's embrace of Andrew Cuomo is reflective of Donald Trump's understanding that [Cuomo] would be the best mayor for him-not for New Yorkers," Mamdani said in a statement. If elected, he would become NYC's first Muslim mayor and its youngest in over a century.
"I'm not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other, but if it's gonna be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I'm gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time."
Donald Trump, in a CBS 60 Minutes interview
Cuomo's cautious response and campaign dynamics
Cuomo, a former Democratic governor of New York and vocal Trump critic, downplayed the endorsement as opposition to Mamdani rather than support for his own candidacy. "He's not endorsing me. He's opposing Mamdani," Cuomo told reporters. Polls show Mamdani leading Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary, while Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa trails both. Trump explicitly discouraged votes for Sliwa, calling it "a vote for Mamdani."
Cuomo has positioned himself as the only candidate with the experience to navigate conflicts with a potential future Trump administration, citing his clashes with the former president during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, his tenure as governor faced scrutiny after state investigators found his administration had underreported nursing home deaths during the outbreak.
Mamdani's rebuttal and vision for NYC
Mamdani, who has rejected the "communist" label-joking in one interview that he's "kind of like a Scandinavian politician, only browner"-accused Cuomo of mimicking Trump's tactics. "The answer to a Donald Trump presidency is not to create its mirror image in City Hall," he said Monday, outlining a vision of "a city that believes in the dignity of everyone who calls this place home."
Trump's intervention underscores the race's national significance, as his administration previously deployed National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities for crime crackdowns and sought to defund "sanctuary" jurisdictions. New York's mayoral election, set for November 5, will determine whether the city aligns with progressive policies or adopts a more centrist approach amid federal pressure.
Key figures in the race
- Zohran Mamdani (D): Democratic nominee, 34-year-old state assemblyman, democratic socialist, would be NYC's first Muslim mayor.
- Andrew Cuomo (I): Former NY governor (2011-2021), running as an independent after losing Democratic primary; criticized Trump during COVID-19 but faced scrutiny over nursing home data.
- Curtis Sliwa (R): Republican candidate, founder of the Guardian Angels; trails in polls.
