Trump calls old foe Andrew Cuomo as he considers intervening in NYC mayor's race to thwart Mamdani: report

Independent

5 hours ago

President Donald Trump took a call with his old foe, Andrew Cuomo, as he considers intervening in New York City 's mayoral race to thwart Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani, according to a new report.
Trump and the former New York governor, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, talked about the competitive race in a call made in recent weeks, The New York Times reported Wednesday, citing people briefed on the matter.
It's unclear what exactly was discussed in the call or when it exactly happened.
Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi told The Independent, 'The Governor and the President have not spoken in some time. As far as I know, they have not discussed the race.'
'There is only one candidate in this race who can effectively defend New York values and take on Donald Trump – the one official who already has: Andrew Cuomo,' Azzopardi said. 'We'll leave the palace intrigue to the gossip mill. In the meantime, Governor Cuomo is out crisscrossing the city, speaking directly to voters about uniting to build a New New York and deliver real change and progress for all.'
The Independent has reached out to the White House and Cuomo's campaign for comment.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist who has promised rent freezes and free buses if elected, led by 50 percent among likely voters in a new poll.
The poll conducted by Public Progress Solutions and Zenith Research last month saw Mandani with 50 percent of the vote and Cuomo with 22 percent of the vote in a five-way race. The incumbent in the race, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, trailed in fourth place with 7 percent of the vote.
Mamdani polled even stronger in head-to-head race scenarios with Adams, 59 to 32 percent, and Cuomo, 52 to 40 percent.
Trump had privately asked a Republican congressman and New York businessmen about who they think has the best chance of beating Mamdani, the NYT reported.
He has also been briefed by pollster Mark Penn and his long-time friend, former New York City Council President Andrew Stein, on polling that showed Cuomo as a competitive candidate, according to the publication.
While it's unclear if Trump would even interfere in the mayoral race, let alone back Cuomo, a potential alliance between Trump and the former governor would be surprising given their past criticisms of one another. Just this April, Cuomo vowed to stand up to 'bully' Trump in a speech in Harlem, per the New York Post.
But Trump has also sparred with Mamdani. Last month, the president threatened to arrest him if he won the election and followed through on his promise to defy Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in New York City.
At the time, Mamdani said Trump's 'statements don't just represent an attack on our democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.'
In response to the NYT's reporting, Mamdani told reporters Wednesday: 'Whatever Donald Trump seeks to do to influence the outcome of this election, I have more faith in New Yorkers themselves, who have shown…that they do not want to support our current president's vision of a New York City that is ripping immigrants from their homes, that is detaining New Yorkers on the basis of political expression.'
'What they want is someone who can stand up to an authoritarian administration,' Mamdani added.
Cuomo's spokesman suggested Trump would be more interested in Mamdani or the other candidates in the race.
'Regarding his reported interest, it seems clear that President Trump would either prefer Mr. Mamdani, whom he refers to as a 'commie,' because he believes Mamdani would serve as a political boon to Republicans nationwide in the midterms, symbolizing what he sees as the Democratic Party's extremism,' he told The Independent.
'Alternatively, he may favor Eric Adams, who is a wholly owned subsidiary of the President. And there is already a Republican in the race, who is the nominee of President Trump's party.'
Curtis Sliwa, founder of the New York City crime prevention group the Guardian Angels, is the Republican nominee for mayor.