US President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the heated New York City mayoral race, warning he would slash federal funding to the city if Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani wins.
In a post on Truth Social Monday evening, Trump urged New Yorkers to rally behind Cuomo, saying, “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. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!”
Cuomo, who is running as an Independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, dismissed Trump’s endorsement, stating, “He’s not endorsing me. He’s opposing Mamdani.”
Trump’s comments have stirred fresh controversy after he told CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday that it would be “hard to send money to New York” if Mamdani—a self-described democratic socialist—were to win, incorrectly labeling him a “communist.”
“It’s gonna be hard for me as president to give a lot of money to New York,” Trump said. “Because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there.”
Mamdani, currently leading in opinion polls, fired back, calling Trump’s statement a “threat” and asserting, “It is not the law.” He accused the president of prioritizing politics over policy, saying Trump’s support for Cuomo “shows he wants a mayor who works for him, not for New Yorkers.”
The Trump administration has previously targeted Democrat-led cities with funding cuts. New York City received $7.4 billion in federal funds this fiscal year, a figure that could be at risk depending on the election’s outcome.
With polls showing Mamdani ahead of Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa trailing, the final stretch of the campaign promises to be one of the most politically charged in recent city history.
