The New York City mayoral race between the younger, progressive Zohran Mamdani and the experienced former governor Andrew Cuomo has been unexpectedly influenced by US President Donald Trump. In a statement during a ’60 Minutes’ appearance, Trump declared his preference for Cuomo, labeling him a “bad Democrat” over Mamdani, whom he described as a “communist.” Trump expressed reservations about potentially allocating funds to a city led by a “communist,” suggesting that Cuomo, despite not being his preferred candidate, represented a less undesirable option.
Mamdani, 34, responded swiftly to Trump’s endorsement on social media platform X, with a touch of sarcasm: “Congratulations, Andrew Cuomo. I know how hard you worked for this.” This post quickly garnered significant attention and reactions from users, with many commenting that an endorsement from Trump could be detrimental to a politician’s career. One user noted that Cuomo’s alignment with Trump could inadvertently benefit Mamdani, suggesting that a vote for Cuomo might be perceived as a vote for MAGA, urging New Yorkers to be aware of this connection.