NYC mayoral candidates take aim at Trump during Al Sharpton-led forum: ‘Existential threat'
Mayoral candidates all but declared war on President Trump during a forum organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton Thursday – with frontrunner Andrew Cuomo labeling the Republican commander in chief an 'existential threat.'
The 47th president — who has pulled back nearly $200 million in funding from the city — was dumped on during a series of sit-down interviews between City Hall hopefuls and the influential civil rights leader at the National Action Network Convention in Manhattan.
'When President Trump puts his finger in your chest, the worst thing you can do is step backwards,' said Cuomo, who as governor frequently attacked the Republican president during the COVID-19 pandemic.
'What you have to do is step forward. And that's what we have always done,' said the three-term Democrat, who resigned in 2021 while facing sexual harassment allegations, which he fiercely denies.
'He's huffed and he's puffed, but he's just never going to blow in the door of New York,' he said of Trump.
While he called Trump an 'existential threat,' to the Big Apple, Cuomo then got existential himself.
'No. What if I die?' the 67-year-old replied when asked if would promise to serve a full term if elected mayor.
'Short of death, I commit,' he then added.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and state Sen. Jessica Ramos — the only two women in the race — got the most raucous cheers during their appearances, and also ripped Trump.
'New York needs a change. New York is bleeding and hemorrhaging right now and we need something different. We need a touch from a woman that can get this thing done right,' said the council speaker, as she took a shot at Mayor Eric Adams.
'Somebody not afraid of Donald Trump nor (who) will hawk his people's books,' she added, referencing Adams holding up FBI Director Kash Patel's book during a speech Wednesday about his federal case getting tossed for good.
The packed crowd also erupted when Ramos said she was armed and ready when asked about going toe-to-toe with Trump.
'I'm ready to bring a gun to a gun fight,' she said.
Left wing candidate Zohran Mamdani, who's been in second place behind Cuomo in recent polling on the Democratic mayoral primary, stressed 'New Yorkers are non-negotiable' when asked how he could work with Trump while also standing up to him.
'I'm not willing to give up a single New Yorker,' he said in reference to federal immigration raids — while noting he was willing to work with Trump on lowering groceries.
The incumbent Adams, who has faced criticism of being too soft on Trump and who earlier Thursday he'd be running for re-election on an independent line, vowed to face down the White House regardless of who leads it.
'I'm going to fight any White House that is not going to benefit our city,' he said before pivoting to slamming President Joe Biden over his border policy and Gotham's migrant crisis.
Asked if he'd push back against Trump's campaign to quash diversity, equity and inclusion, Adams quipped, 'You look through this administration and see all of this chocolate, you can't say I'm not doing my thing.'
Hizzoner said he was heartbroken when questions swirled about whether he had engaged in a quid pro quo to get his federal criminal case dropped in exchange for helping with Trump's immigration crackdown.
'My heart is broken, but I'm not gonna be angry cause God is good and I'm gonna bless the lord at all times, his praise will continuously be in my mouth,' Adams said.
'When others turn against me, Jesus stands with me and I'm gonna be the mayor and be reelected cause God's will will be done.'
The Trump administration has so far clawed back $80 million in FEMA funding that was meant for migrant services and another $100 million in unspent COVID-19 funds.
Trump has also warned he wants to pull the federal approval for congestion pricing — with a court case ongoing about the controversial program's survival.
Other Democratic mayoral primary candidates — including City Comptroller Brad Lander, former comptroller Scott Stringer and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie — also criticized the president during the Sharpton-led forum.
Trump, as he boarded Air Force One Thursday en route to Miami, said he wasn't thinking about endorsing anyone in the race.
Asked about Cuomo running for mayor, the president said, I've always gotten along with him' and 'we always had a pretty good relationship'
— Additional reporting by Josh Christenson
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
3 minutes ago
- Fast Company
Gavin Newsom is having his social media moment
'Fuck around' and 'find out,' read a TikTok post, following a screenshot announcing that California is suing President Donald Trump for deploying the National Guard to the streets of Los Angeles. But the TikTok wasn't shared by a typical meme account—it came from California Governor Gavin Newsom. 'I damn near fell over when I realized this was Gov. Newsom's page,' one user commented. Since Friday, demonstrations have erupted across Los Angeles in protest of the president's immigration policies and the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Although many of the demonstrations have remained peaceful, there have been violent incidents including authorities deploying tear gas and rubber bullets, and protestors setting Waymo vehicles ablaze throughout the city. As tensions escalated, the Trump administration deployed the National Guard and Marines—despite objections from local officials—sparking a lawsuit from the state, threats of arrest against Governor Newsom, and a surge of defiant memes. 'And remember kids, the next time anybody tells you 'the government wouldn't do that', oh yes they would,' says the popular TikTok sound used on Newsom's official account video, playing over screenshots of news headlines and images of armed forces confronting demonstrators. In another viral video from the governor's page, which amassed over 5.4 million views, Taylor Swift's 'You Need To Calm Down' plays over a series of photos of the two politicians. 'r u ok?' the post asks, with a caption reading: 'America's keyboard warrior.' Newsom's clapback drew widespread praise in the comments. 'I do disagree with Newsom a lot but him standing up to tyranny and standing with your state takes some serious guts. Hats off to you Newsom,' wrote one user. He's also taken to his personal account to deliver meme-laced messages to Trump—one featuring a photoshopped image of the president wearing a crown, captioned 'send in the troops.' The slideshow ends with a shot from the musical Hamilton, with text reading: 'Democracy is under assault right before our eyes. It's time for all of us to stand up.' The online showdown has significantly boosted Newsom's social media presence, growing his personal TikTok account by approximately 397,000 followers and his official Governor account by 479,000 since Friday. Newsom is the latest in a growing number of politicians leveraging memes and social media to bypass traditional media and speak directly to the public through humor. Famously, Kamala Harris gained momentum during her presidential campaign with ' Brat summer ' and the coconut tree trend, while Joe Biden leaned into the viral ' Dark Brandon ' meme during his reelection campaign. Although meme strategies can generate enthusiasm and visibility, the 2024 election results suggest that online popularity doesn't always translate at the polls.
CBS News
4 minutes ago
- CBS News
Mayor Bass, regional mayors call for end to ICE raids in Southern California: "Our communities are not battlegrounds"
After days of violent and destructive protests in Los Angeles, fueled by an increase in immigration enforcement operations, Mayor Karen Bass and other regional mayors called for an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. At a news conference Wednesday morning, Bass said the unrest in a portion of Los Angeles started last Friday after immigration operations were carried out in several parts of Southern California. Bass told reporters that LA and surrounding cities were "peaceful" before the raids. Mayor Karen Bass called on the Trump administration to end the immigration enforcement operations taking place across the Southern California region. KCAL News She explained that the raids have caused fear in immigrant communities, and accused President Trump of worsening the situation when he ordered the deployment of National Guard and U.S. Marine troops. She called for an end to ICE raids and the federalization of troops. "When you start deploying federalized troops on the heels of these raids, it is a drastic and chaotic escalation and completely unnecessary," Bass said. Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, claiming that his decision to deploy troops to LA saved the city from burning to the ground. "The great people of Los Angeles are very lucky that I made the decision to go in and help!!!," he wrote. Her speech came a day after she implemented a curfew in a portion of downtown LA after five consecutive nights of demonstrations, which have escalated to clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers, as well as hundreds of arrests. Since the start of the protests, parts of downtown LA have been covered in graffiti, businesses have been looted and public property has been vandalized. TOPSHOT - A car burns as a demonstrator waves a Mexican national flag during a protest following federal immigration operations, in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on June 7, 2025. RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images During an interview Wednesday morning on CBS Los Angeles, Bass explained that the curfew will be extended until it is necessary to ensure public safety. The curfew currently runs for one square mile in the downtown area from the 5 Freeway to the 110 Freeway and from the 10 Freeway to where the 110 Freeway and 5 Freeway merge from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Bass has also taken to social media to share how the raids are affecting the city. In a post on X, she wrote, "Angelenos are trying to live their lives—going to work, caring for their families—while facing the constant threat of sudden immigration crackdowns." Other mayors from across Southern California joined Bass, calling for an end to the ICE raids. The Mayor of Huntington Park, Arturo Flores, a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, told reporters that the military neighborhoods. "The deployment of Marines on our U.S. soil is an alarming escalation that undermines the values of democracy," Flores said. "Our communities are not battle grounds." Flores said the ICE raids being carried out in his community and others across the region are a form of intimidation that traumatizes hardworking residents. He said fear-based tactics are being used to target immigrant communities. The Mayor of Paramount, Peggy Lemons, added that residents are choosing not to leave their homes or send their children to school out of fear that ICE will take them away. "For many in our city, this has been the most devastating time in recent memory," Lemons said. She said immigrants, who play such an important role in the makeup of the region, should not have to live in constant fear.
Politico
7 minutes ago
- Politico
Fulbright board members, accusing Trump of politicizing the program, announce resignation
Board members of the Fulbright Scholarship Program announced their resignation Wednesday, protesting what they call the Trump administration's politicization of the program, as the White House continues to find itself locked in a battle with universities around the nation. In a memo released on Wednesday, board members said they voted 'overwhelmingly' to resign in light of the actions of political appointees at the State Department, which manages the program. The 12-person board was appointed by former President Joe Biden. The program awards nearly 8,000 scholarships to academics each year, according to its website. The board said the administration usurped the program's authority when the State Department denied some of those awards for a 'substantial number of individuals' for the 2025-2026 academic year, overriding the board's decision to admit academics studying subjects including biology, engineering, medical sciences, music and history. 'Our resignation is not a decision we take lightly,' the memo read. 'But to continue to serve after the Administration has consistently ignored the Board's request that they follow the law would risk legitimizing actions we believe are unlawful and damage the integrity of this storied program and America's credibility abroad.' The Fulbright Program directed a request for comment to the State Department, which did not immediately respond. However, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) — the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — confirmed the board members' resignation. 'While I understand and respect the bipartisan Fulbright Board for resigning en masse rather than grant credibility to a politicized and unlawful process, I'm painfully aware that today's move will change the quality of Fulbright programming and the independent research that has made our country a leader in so many fields,' Shaheen said. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board's page on the State Department's website — which earlier Wednesday listed a dozen members — only has one member on Wednesday afternoon: Carmen Estrada-Schaye, the president of Historic Homes Restoration, who was appointed to the board in 2022. Members on the board included several alumnis of Joe Biden's White House, including former deputy chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon, former head of speechwriting Vinay Reddy and Louisa Terrell, former director of the Office of Legislative Affairs. Congress established the Fulbright Program nearly 80 years ago and, according to the board, specified that the board has final approval authority of applicants. The program was established to 'increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,' according to the Fulbright website. Forty-four Fulbright alumni have served as heads of state or government, according to the State Department, while 62 Fulbright alumni from 15 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize. Ninety Fulbright alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes. 'This proud legacy has depended on one thing above all: the integrity of the program's selection process based on merit, not ideology, and its insulation from political interference,' the board's memo said. 'That integrity is now undermined.' The board said it has repeatedly raised legal issues and strong objections with senior administration officials, including in writing, but officials have refused to acknowledge or respond to the board. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Since President Donald Trump began his second term, the White House has clashed with universities for programs and policies the administration has labeled divisive. Recently, the administration tried to stop foreign students and scholars from attending Harvard University. A court has temporarily blocked the administration from enforcing the order.
