.png)
President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding from New York City in a last-ditch effort to drive the city’s voters to former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and prevent Zohran Mamdani from winning Tuesday’s election.
Trump wrote in a social media post “it is highly unlikely” he will allow the city to receive federal funding beyond “the very minimum as required” if voters elect Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor, while advocating for Cuomo, who is running as an independent.
The statement marked a more forceful endorsement of Cuomo by Trump, who said in a “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday he would like to see Cuomo defeat Mamdani.
“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 wrote.
Trump also urged people not to vote for Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate in the race, arguing that it amounted to supporting Mamdani.
Trump, who praised Cuomo’s “record of success,” offered his most unequivocal backing for the former governor in the race’s final hours. His complimentary posture toward Cuomo marks a shift from the “60 Minutes” interview, in which he framed the race as a choice “between a bad Democrat and a Communist,” adding that he would pick “the bad Democrat all the time.”
Cuomo sought to distance himself from Trump’s backhanded commendation while campaigning on Monday, repeatedly insisting to reporters that Trump did not endorse him. Mamdani’s campaign seized on the “60 Minutes” interview, painting his comments as a full-throated endorsement.
“Congratulations, @AndrewCuomo. I know how hard you worked for this,” Mamdani wrote in a tongue-in-cheek social media post.
Cuomo has sought to position his campaign to win the support of Trump supporters in New York City. He privately told donors in August he’s counting on Trump to tell voters to support him over Sliwa as part of their shared goal of defeating Mamdani. The New York Times reported in August that Trump and Cuomo discussed the mayoral race in a phone call.
It’s not immediately clear the extent to which Trump could hamstring New York City’s funding if he does withhold federal dollars. But over $100 billion in federal funding flows through New York City via state and city allocations as well as disbursements to health care providers and other public entities.
English (US)