“Whether you like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no other choice. Everyone must vote for him and hope he will do a good job,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on November 3, ahead of the race for New York City mayor.
Andrew Cuomo, 67, is the former Democratic governor of New York and had multiple clashes with President Trump during his first term. Cuomo is now running for New York City mayor as an independent candidate. His strongest opponent is Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, 34, who recently exchanged sharp words with President Trump due to policy disagreements. Therefore, Trump described the race between the two as a competition between a bad choice and a less bad one.
“I do not support Cuomo, but if I have to choose between a bad Democrat and Mamdani, honestly, I will choose the bad Democrat,” Trump said on November 2. The U.S. President later repeated his threat to cut federal funding for New York City if Mamdani wins, even though New York is his “first beloved home.”
“I would rather see a Democrat, who was once successful, win than see victory go to someone inexperienced and a complete failure,” Trump said. Regarding Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, the President also frankly encouraged New York voters not to vote for him.
“Voting for Sliwa (who would look better without the beret) is the same as voting for Mamdani,” Trump wrote.
The New York City mayoral election will take place on November 4. Since New York traditionally leans toward the Democratic Party, candidate Mamdani is predicted to have the highest chance of winning.