U.S. President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the city’s mayoral race — an unexpected move that stunned political circles on Monday.
He warned that federal funds for New York City could be restricted if Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani secures victory.
Just hours before polling stations opened, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to issue a formal endorsement for Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary.
“It is my strong conviction that New York City will be a Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster should Mamdani win,” Trump wrote.
He added that Cuomo, despite being a Democrat, “has had a record of success,” calling Mamdani “a Communist with no experience and a record of complete and total failure.”
Trump went as far as urging his own supporters not to back the Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa, saying, “A vote for Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani.”
Polls show Mamdani leading
According to the latest RealClearPolitics poll released Monday, Mamdani holds a comfortable lead with 45.8%, compared to Cuomo’s 31.1% and Sliwa’s 17.3%.
The mayoral race, already one of the most closely watched in recent history, has drawn record participation — with over 735,000 early votes cast in nine days, four times more than in 2021, according to the New York City Board of Elections.
Mamdani’s final push: ‘Our time Is now’
Mamdani, 34, began election day with a sunrise walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, joined by hundreds of supporters before delivering a fiery speech at City Hall.
He warned that a Cuomo victory would return the city to “dark days,” claiming Trump’s endorsement proved the former governor would serve the president’s interests, not New Yorkers’.
“If Cuomo is elected as mayor, our city will descend deeper into the darkness that has made it impossible for working people to live lives of dignity,” Mamdani said.
His campaign — focused on free public transport, rent freezes, and universal childcare funded by taxes on the wealthy — has drawn strong grassroots support. If elected, Mamdani would make history as the first Muslim, African-born, and South Asian-descended mayor of New York City.
Cuomo appeals to conservatives
Cuomo, 67, who resigned as governor in 2021 following a sexual harassment probe, has sought to rebuild his political image by appealing to moderate and conservative voters.
During his final campaign stops, he denounced “socialism,” comparing Mamdani’s agenda to “failed experiments in Cuba and Venezuela.”
In a WABC Radio interview, Cuomo tacitly welcomed Trump’s backing, saying, “The president is right. A vote for Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani. And that’s why this election is now up to the Republicans.”
Cuomo’s campaign has been buoyed by financial support from prominent billionaires, including hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who reportedly contributed $750,000 through super PACs.
Meanwhile, Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee and founder of The Guardian Angels, has found himself sidelined by Trump’s strategic endorsement of Cuomo.
On Monday, he paid tribute to a woman who was killed on a Brooklyn subway last year, before rallying his base on issues like crime prevention, homelessness, animal welfare, and reducing bureaucracy.
Despite Trump’s stance, Sliwa has distanced himself from the president’s immigration policies, maintaining a more independent conservative line.
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