BBC :
US President Donald Trump has officially endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race, urging voters not to elect Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani, while warning that federal funding for the city could be drastically reduced if Mamdani wins.
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social Monday evening.
Cuomo, an Independent candidate and former Democratic governor, responded cautiously, saying, “He’s not endorsing me. He’s opposing Mamdani.”
Trump previously signaled that he would limit federal support to New York City if Mamdani were elected, calling the Democratic nominee a “communist” in an earlier television interview.
“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.
Mamdani, 34, a state assemblyman and democratic socialist, rejected the label and dismissed the president’s comments as a “threat, not law.” He accused Trump of attempting to influence the city’s political landscape for personal gain.
“The MAGA movement’s embrace of Andrew Cuomo reflects Donald Trump’s belief that Cuomo would serve his interests, not those of New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.
If elected, Mamdani would become New York City’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in over a century.
He has criticized Cuomo as a “puppet of Trump” and pledged to offer an alternative vision that prioritizes the dignity and needs of all residents.
Cuomo, meanwhile, has emphasized his experience in dealing with the Trump administration, citing his tenure as New York governor during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I fought Donald Trump. When I’m fighting for New York, I am not going to stop,” Cuomo said.
Trump’s threat to cut federal funds follows a broader pattern of the administration targeting Democratic-led cities and jurisdictions that resist cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, alongside deploying National Guard troops in certain areas as part of a crime crackdown.
