President Trump would like nothing better than a Zohran Mamdani victory in New York’s mayoral race, former Gov. Cuomo said Saturday, claiming the idea that Trump wants Eric Adams out of the race to help Cuomo win is “baloney.”
As the candidates for NYC mayor all gathered at Saturday’s Labor Day parade in Manhattan, Cuomo said the president would use the socialist candidate’s ultra-liberal beliefs to both wrest control over the city and destroy the Democratic party in one shot.
“Mamdani is a perfect stooge for President Trump,” Cuomo said at the Labor Day Parade on Fifth Ave., blasting speculation that Trump tried to build support behind Cuomo by encouraging incumbent Mayor Adams to bow out of the election.
Mamdani “is the best person for their political interests,” Cuomo continued. “If (Mamdani) is mayor of New York, they’ll use him against the Democrats all across the country. They will say, ‘Look who the Democrats are. They’re socialists. They are for disbanding the police. They’re for legalizing prostitution. They sympathize with terrorists.’ That’s what Mamdani represents.”
Mayor Adams and Cuomo, both moderate Democrats, are running as Independents against Mamdani, the Democratic candidate, and Guardian Angels Founder Curtis Sliwa, who is running as a Republican. There is widespread speculation that Adams and Cuomo both remaining in the race would make it easier for Mamdani, who is leading in the polls, to win.
But on Friday, Adams shot down rumors he was considering ending his longshot re-election campaign in order to become a U.S. ambassador in President Trump’s administration, possibly in Saudi Arabia.
At the same time, when asked Saturday why he hasn’t unequivocally ruled out taking a job with Trump, Adams replied: “It doesn’t matter what I say you all are not going to report it accurately anyway I answered that question already.”
During his Friday press conference at Gracie Mansion, Adams inferred that the Trump rumors were started by Cuomo, whom the mayor called “a snake and a liar.”
Cuomo shrugged off Adams’ curt words Saturday.
“I stopped listening to Adams a long time ago and so did New York City,” Cuomo said, claiming that he hasn’t spoken to Trump about the mayoral race.
Rumors that Trump was putting his support behind Cuomo to beat Mamdani was “baloney,” he said.
“Trump would step in within 11 minutes if Mamdani was to win and take over New York City, and he would say, ‘I have to, for the safety of New Yorkers, because Mamdani already said he would disband the police and legalize prostitution and do away with misdemeanors,’” Cuomo said. “(Mamdani) is President Trump’s dream candidate. (He) couldn’t create a better candidate to hurt the Democrats than socialist Mamdani.”
An email to Mamdani’s campaign for comment was not immediately returned.
Trump has repeatedly incorrectly called Mamdani a “communist” and said Thursday he does not “like to see a communist become mayor.”
Mamdani marched at the beginning of the Labor Day parade lined up behind a banner with liberal Rep. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Gov. Hochul. Hochul has held off backing Mamdani’s bid for mayor.
Trump’s comments on the race have fueled speculation he is offering Adams a job in exchange for dropping out.
“I don’t think you can win unless you have one on one, because somehow he’s gotten a little bit of a lead,” Trump said on Thursday, referring to Mamdani, who’s polling as the clear favorite to win November’s election. “I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one on one. I think that’s a race that could be won.”
As marched in the parade, Adams doubled down on his vow to continue campaigning, despite his low poll numbers.
“I can’t be any clearer. I’m in the race until the end,” Adams said. “There’s no other way to say it, there’s no other way to articulate it.”
Adams came out swinging against his opponents on Friday, calling both Mamdani and Cuomo “two spoiled brats.”
“They were born with silver spoons in their mouths, not like working class New Yorkers,” Adams said. “I’m a working class New Yorker. They are not like us.”
Adams also said that he was “the only one who can beat Mamdani.”
Sliwa said that rumors of Adams future in the race “gives me vertigo.”
“I don’t know from day to day what he’s doing,” the Guardian Angels founder said. “I don’t know how you beat Mamdani if from one day to the next, you’re an ambassador to Saudi Arabia, now I’m going to reconsider that.
“The more he vacillates, the more his supporters come to my campaign. I’m not dropping out. I want the people to make their decision by November 4, who becomes the mayor.”
Originally Published: September 6, 2025 at 3:49 PM EDT
