Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo openly admitted that President Donald Trump could help sway Republican voters in his favor in the New York City mayoral race, adding that the prospect heartens him, Politico’s New York Playbook reports.
“Trump himself, as well as top Republicans, will say the goal is to stop [Democratic nominee Zohran] Mamdani. And you’ll be wasting your vote on [Republican nominee Curtis] Sliwa. So I feel good about that,” Cuomo reportedly said at a fundraising event this past weekend, per audio obtained by the publication.
Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi minimized the statements, noting that Cuomo was “speculating” in response to a “hypothetical.”
“We’re not asking for or expecting help from anyone,” Azzopardi added.
The former governor’s remarks come after The New York Times reported that Cuomo and Trump had held a call about the election, something both politicians denied. Cuomo has also said he wouldn’t accept the president’s endorsement.
Cuomo appeared to acknowledge some ties to Trump during this weekend’s event, however, and also signaled openness to a friendlier relationship with the president if he became mayor.
“Let’s put it this way: I knew the president very well,” Cuomo reportedly said. “I believe there will be opportunities to actually cooperate with him. I also believe that he’s not going to want to fight with me in New York if he can avoid it.”
Earlier this year, Cuomo lost to Mamdani by a double-digit margin in the Democratic primary and continues to trail him by a substantial percentage in polls for November’s general election. According to an August survey of likely New York City voters from Gotham Polling and AARP, Mamdani has 42% support, while Cuomo has 23%, current New York City Mayor Eric Adams has 9% and Sliwa has 17%.
At the donor gathering, Cuomo floated the possibility of Adams dropping out as an opportunity to consolidate moderates’ support, a statement that raised the mayor’s ire.
Cuomo’s comments also spurred questions about how forceful he’d be in opposition to Trump if he wins this fall, a concern that the Mamdani campaign alluded to as well. Previously, Cuomo has been scrutinized for failing to call Trump out by name in the early months of his first and second terms, as well as for describing legal cases filed against him as “political.”
“Since he’s too afraid to say it to New Yorkers’ faces, we’ll make it clear,” Dora Pekec, a Mamdani spokesperson, said in a statement. “Andrew Cuomo is Donald Trump’s choice for mayor.”
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