Former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that President Donald Trump doesn’t want him to win the New York City mayoral election, saying a victory by Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani would boost the president’s chances in the 2026 midterm elections.
Cuomo said he is “the last person” that Trump wants as the Big Apple’s mayor, citing the “daily” feuds he and Trump would have when Cuomo was governor during the president’s first term. The View cohost Joy Behar responded by saying Trump wants Mamdani to win the election, to which Cuomo said the Democratic nominee is “a gift” for the president.
“[Trump] wants Mamdani [for] two reasons. One, going into the midterms, he will take a picture of Mamdani, run around the country, and say, ‘Here’s what happened to the Democrats. They are now Communists, they hate the police, they legalize prostitution, legalize drugs, they want to elect this Democrat, no experience whatsoever, being mayor of New York would be his first real job.’ OK?” Cuomo said.
“Second move, it’s good for Donald Trump because it’s the excuse he needs to take over New York, which he said he will do! He said, ‘If they elect this person, then I, Donald Trump, am going to have to step in, take over New York to protect the good people of New York,’ because that’s what’s going to happen,” Cuomo said.
Trump said in June that if Mamdani wins the general election, then New York City won’t be “getting any money” unless the mayoral candidate does “the right thing.” He also said a Mamdani victory would be “inconceivable,” calling the Democratic nominee “pure Communist.”
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Cuomo did not commit to calling Mamdani a Communist, instead saying his opponent is a “Democratic socialist.” He said the Democratic socialist movement is a “much more extreme platform” than the Democratic Party.
Washington Examiner Senior Reporter Salena Zito said Monday the Democratic National Committee isn’t involving itself more in the New York City election, since Mamdani’s victory is all but assured. However, she also said it would be “really difficult” for the Democratic Party to distance itself from Mamdani going into the 2026 midterm elections, where it could potentially retake both the House and the Senate.