US President Donald Trump has endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayor’s race, urging voters not to elect left-wing front-runner Zohran Mamdani.
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social Monday evening. “He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!”
The tepid endorsement of the former New York governor comes on the eve of the highly-watched mayoral election.
On Sunday, the president said he would be reluctant to send federal funding to his hometown of New York if Mamdani is elected.
It’s gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York, because if you have a Communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there,” Trump said in a television interview.
Opinion polls indicate Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, is ahead of Cuomo, who is running as an Independent after Mamdani bested him in the Democratic primary. The Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa, trails behind.
Trump, also a Republican, declined to endorse Sliwa in his post, saying “A vote for Curtis Sliwa … is a vote for Mamdani”.
On federal funding, the president added “it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required” if Mamdani is elected.
The Trump administration has repeatedly tried to cut federal grants and funding for projects primarily located in Democratic-run areas. New York City received $7.4bn (£5.7bn) in federal funding this fiscal year.
