President Trump backs Andrew Cuomo, warning he’ll slash federal funds to New York if anti-Israel, pro-Intifada candidate Zohran Mamdani wins.
In a political earthquake on the eve of the New York City mayoral election, U.S. President Donald Trump made an unexpected move — endorsing independent candidate Andrew Cuomo while warning that a victory by Democrat Zohran Mamdani would lead to a freeze on federal funding for the city.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump blasted Mamdani as a “Communist candidate” whose leadership would spell economic and moral collapse for the city he once called home.
“If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the Election for Mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home,” Trump wrote.
Calling Mamdani’s record a “complete and total failure,” Trump accused him of championing extremist ideology:
“His principles have been tested for over a thousand years, and never once have they been successful… New York will be a total disaster under him.”
Turning to his surprising endorsement of Cuomo — a Democrat turned independent — Trump made a strategic calculation:
“A vote for Curtis Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani. Whether you like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him — he’s capable, Mamdani is not!”
The endorsement came just hours after a new AtlasIntel poll revealed Cuomo surging to within 4.5 points of Mamdani, marking a sharp turnaround ahead of Election Day. Mamdani leads with 43.9%, Cuomo follows at 39.4%, and Republican Curtis Sliwa trails with 15.5%. In a head-to-head matchup, Cuomo overtakes Mamdani 49.7% to 44.1% — signaling a late shift among moderates and Jewish voters.
Mamdani’s anti-Israel extremism has alienated much of New York’s Jewish and pro-Israel electorate. His record includes criticizing Israel just one day after the Hamas October 7 massacre, refusing to condemn “globalize the intifada,” and rejecting the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism, which is widely accepted by Western democracies.
He has also accused Israel of war crimes, vowed to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York — despite the U.S. not recognizing the ICC — and recently released a campaign video featuring a PLO flag and Arabic slogans.
Adding to the controversy, Jeremy Corbyn, the disgraced former UK Labour leader ousted over antisemitism scandals, hosted a fundraiser for Mamdani on Sunday — a move critics called “the kiss of death for his campaign.”
Trump’s endorsement of Cuomo, a political rival turned unexpected ally, has scrambled the final hours of the race. “This is about saving New York from a radical anti-Israel extremist,” a senior Trump adviser told reporters. “Even the President knows — you can’t rebuild the greatest city in the world by electing someone who hates America’s strongest ally.”
With voting just hours away, New York’s mayoral race has transformed from predictable to explosive — and the Jewish and pro-Israel vote may now decide the outcome.
