Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo made it clear Thursday that he has no interest in receiving President Trump’s endorsement in the New York City mayoral race.
But he would welcome the support from Mayor Eric Adams — just days after the incumbent exited the race, essentially paving the way for a showdown between Mr. Cuomo and socialist Zohran Mamdani.
Mr. Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations, has been positioning himself for a rematch against Mr. Mamdani in the general election since losing to him in the Democratic primary.
With Mr. Adams now out of the race, Mr. Cuomo finds himself with more room to run roughly a month out from the election.
He plans to speak with Adams, who is no fan of Mr. Mamdani, in the coming days, noting that the mayor’s endorsement could be pivotal in building a broad coalition.
As for Trump, Mr. Cuomo was unequivocal: he doesn’t want the president’s backing.
“The tent isn’t that big,” Mr. Cuomo said on NBC Now. “That’s the limitation. I have not had a conversation, nor would I accept an endorsement from President Trump.”
He said, “I don’t think we need to inject President Trump into this election.”
That is wishful thinking.
Mr. Trump, who built his real estate empire in the city while becoming a colorful tabloid fixture, has loomed over the mayoral race.
Following Mr. Adams’ exit, Mr. Mamdani began framing his campaign as a crusade against Mr. Cuomo, Mr. Trump and billionaire donors.
Speculation has mounted that the Trump administration sought to bolster Mt. Cuomo’s chances against Mr. Mamdani by nudging Mr. Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa to exit the race.
Mr. Sliwa, however, says he’s not stepping aside.
Mr. Adams weathered intense scrutiny after the Trump Justice Department dropped bribery and corruption charges brought against him under President Biden.
The move sparked concerns that Mr. Adams was indebted to Mr. Trump, further damaging his public image and potentially harming his reelection prospects.
Mr. Trump also has been a vocal critic of Mr. Mamdani, who is campaigning on a socialist-style platform that includes free child care, fare-free city buses, publicly run grocery stores, rent freezes, and increased taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents.
Mr. Cuomo has seized on Mr. Mamdani’s platform to paint him as inexperienced and dangerously radical, arguing that his policies would undermine public safety and alienate the city’s business community.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Mr. Trump questioned whether Mr. Mamdani is “the best thing that could happen to the Republican Party?”
“A Communist Mayor in NYC,” Mr. Trump said. “The Dems have gone stone cold CRAZY!”
The dualing campaigns of Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Adams had threatened to dilute the anti-Mamdani vote, paving the way for him to win.
“I think that gives Cuomo a much better chance,” Mr. Trump told Reuters shortly after the Adams exit. “I do welcome it.”
With the general election fast approaching, Mr. Cuomo faces mounting pressure to capitalize on Mr. Adams’ departure and narrow the gap with Mr. Mamdani, who continues to lead by double digits in the polls.
Mr. Cuomo, who is running as an independent, is seeking redemption after a stinging 13-point defeat to Mamdani in the Democratic primary.
Despite the uphill battle, he remains optimistic about his chances in their second face-off.
“There’s still time,” Cuomo said, “because it’s a very stark choice between me and Mr. Mamdani.”
“You know, it’s apples and oranges,” he said. “We couldn’t be more different. I’m a mainstream Democrat. He’s a fringe Democrat.”
