President Donald Trump has urged New Yorkers to vote for former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the city’s mayoral election, warning against backing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump wrote, “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,” adding that Cuomo “is capable of it” while Mamdani “is not.”
Trump praised Cuomo’s “Record of Success,” a move that could help him with Republicans but may complicate Cuomo’s standing with Democrats in New York City. Mamdani, who upset Cuomo in the Democratic primary in June, has repeatedly framed the former governor as aligned with Trump’s interests and argued that he would oppose entrenched power in New York and Washington.
Cuomo, however, dismissed Trump’s endorsement, saying the president is opposing Mamdani rather than supporting him. “He’s not endorsing me. He’s opposing Mamdani,” Cuomo said on Monday.
Trump, a Queens native, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, labeling him a communist—a claim Mamdani denies. Trump also threatened to withhold federal funds from the city if Mamdani wins, except for the minimum required by law. Mamdani responded to Trump, saying his campaign addresses the real challenges facing working-class New Yorkers, including the cost of living, in ways Trump cannot.
Earlier Monday, Mamdani had addressed Trump’s backing of Cuomo at a campaign event in Queens. “The MAGA movement’s embrace of Andrew Cuomo reflects Donald Trump’s understanding that this would be the best mayor for him, not the best mayor for New York City or its residents,” Mamdani said.
Trump had previously expressed a lukewarm support for Cuomo, framing the election as a choice between “the better of two bad options” while dismissing Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. “I’m not a fan of Cuomo one way or another, but if it’s going to be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m going to pick the bad Democrat all the time,” Trump told CBS’ “60 Minutes.” Mamdani responded to the comments, posting congratulations to Cuomo on X while highlighting the contrast between his own campaign and Trump’s approach.
Trump discouraged voters from supporting Sliwa, noting that a vote for the Republican candidate would ultimately help Mamdani. “A vote for Curtis Sliwa (who looks much better without the beret!) is a vote for Mamdani,” he wrote.
Polling shows Mamdani maintaining a double-digit lead over Cuomo, with Sliwa in third. Survey results vary on the exact margin, but most indicate Mamdani has yet to secure a majority of voter support. Elon Musk, a Trump ally and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, also endorsed Cuomo on Monday, jokingly warning that a vote for Sliwa would favor Mamdani.
Cuomo and Trump have a long history, including clashes during Cuomo’s time as governor and the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuomo has positioned his experience dealing with Trump as a strength for New York City, arguing that Mamdani lacks the experience necessary to manage the city. Mamdani, in turn, has emphasized that the issue is not a lack of experience but a question of how that experience has been applied.
