President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated reluctant but firm support for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race in the hope he can keep socialist rival Zohran Mamdani from winning the election.
A day after saying he would back Cuomo, “the bad Democrat,” over “communist” Mamdani, Trump took to Truth Social to urge New Yorkers to back the former governor, just hours before voters head to the polls on Tuesday.
“It is my obligation to run the Nation, and it is my strong conviction that New York City will be a Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster should Mamdani win,” Trump wrote in a message weighing in on the race in his native state, and the city where he spent decades as one of the most influential developers in the country.
“His principles have been tested for over a thousand years, and never once have they been successful. I would much rather see a Democrat, who has had a Record of Success, WIN, than a Communist with no experience and a Record of COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE….Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!” the president added.
Hundreds of thousands of residents have already cast early votes ahead of the Nov. 4 election, which emerged as one of the most closely watched in the country after Mamdani shocked pundits with an upset primary win against Democratic rivals Cuomo and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The latest polling indicates a razor-thin race, with Cuomo trailing Mamdani by a narrow margin.
Many moderates, including figures such as Adams and Elon Musk, have overcome their distaste for Cuomo and coalesced behind him in the race as their best bet to defeat Mamdani. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa remains in the race as well despite concerns that he is draining support from Cuomo that could prevent Mamdani from taking over City Hall.
It’s been a sweeping turn of fortunes for Cuomo, who once faced rage from centrists and Republicans due to his handling of COVID-19 and experienced bipartisan scrutiny over sexual scandals, which led him to resign as governor.
Trump this week urged residents in the city not to split the vote by backing Sliwa.
“We must also remember this — A vote for Curtis Sliwa (who looks much better without the beret!) is a vote for Mamdani,” he said, making a disparaging reference to Sliwa’s signature red beret.
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And the president once again warned he would be withholding federal funding from New York City if Mamdani wins the election.
“He was nothing as an Assemblyman, ranked at the bottom of the class and, as Mayor of potentially, again, the Greatest City in the World, HE HAS NO CHANCE to bring it back to its former Glory!” Trump wrote, writing that New York City would “only get worse with a Communist at the helm, and I don’t want to send, as President, good money after bad.”
