Will Trump’s support win Cuomo last-minute surge – or could it hurt him?

As his hometown of New York votes for its adjacent mayor, United States President Donald Trump has thrown his enactment down Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat and erstwhile New York authorities politician who is lasting arsenic an autarkic this time.

The Republican president’s endorsement of Cuomo – who mislaid the Democratic superior to self-described antiauthoritarian socialist Zohran Mamdani successful June – came conscionable hours earlier polling booths unfastened connected Tuesday successful the intimately watched election.

Trump has called Mamdani, a Muslim migrant who is campaigning connected a committedness to marque New York much affordable for its residents via rent freezes and cosmopolitan childcare, a “communist“. He has besides threatened to withhold national funds from New York City if Mamdani wins.

“I would overmuch alternatively spot a Democrat, who has had a Record of Success, WIN, than a Communist with nary acquisition and a Record of COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE,” Trump wrote connected his Truth Social platform.

Mamdani is presently starring the polls with 46 percent enactment – a double-digit pb implicit Cuomo’s 32 percent. The Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa, is trailing successful 3rd spot astatine 16 percent. Trump discouraged voters from choosing Sliwa, saying: “A ballot for Curtis Sliwa … is simply a ballot for Mamdani.”

But volition an endorsement from Trump assistance oregon hinder Cuomo’s already slim chances of winning the race?

From right, Democratic campaigner Zohran Mamdani speaks during a mayoral statement with Republican campaigner Curtis Sliwa and autarkic campaigner Andrew Cuomo successful New York connected October 16, 2025 [Angelina Katsanis/Pool via Reuters]

Why did Trump endorse Cuomo?

Trump’s enactment for Cuomo, who stepped down arsenic politician of New York successful 2021 amid intersexual misconduct allegations, appears mostly driven by his absorption to Mamdani.

Mamdani has denied Trump’s statement of him arsenic a communist.

In June, PolitiFact debunked claims that Mamdani is simply a communist. “Communism involves a centrally planned system with nary marketplace forces. Prices and quantities are acceptable by a cardinal authorities authority. There is nary antiauthoritarian governmental competition, and alternatively a azygous enactment rules the country. He is not calling for immoderate of this,” Stanford University Professor Anna Grzymala-Busse told PolitiFact.

However, Trump maintains that with Mamdani astatine the helm successful New York, “this erstwhile large City has ZERO accidental of success, oregon adjacent survival!”

“I don’t privation to send, arsenic President, bully wealth aft bad,” helium said, referring to his menace to withhold national backing from New York City. “His principles person been tested for implicit a 1000 years, and ne'er erstwhile person they been successful.”

Trump’s outright backing of Cuomo follows his much tepid 1 successful an interrogation connected the CBS TV network’s 60 Minutes programme that was filmed astatine his Mar-a-Lago edifice successful Florida connected Friday and aired connected Sunday.

“I’m not a instrumentality of Cuomo 1 mode oregon another, but if it’s going to beryllium betwixt a atrocious Democrat and a communist, I’m going to prime the atrocious Democrat each the time, to beryllium honorable with you,” Trump said connected the show.

“Whether you personally similar Andrew Cuomo oregon not, you truly person nary choice. You indispensable ballot for him and anticipation helium does a fantastic job,” Trump added. “[Cuomo] is susceptible of it. Mamdani is not!”

Former New York Governor and autarkic campaigner for New York City politician Andrew Cuomo campaigns successful the Washington Heights neighbourhood the time earlier the predetermination [Jeenah Moon/Reuters]

How has Cuomo responded to Trump’s endorsement?

The erstwhile politician has sought to region himself from Trump’s comments.

“He didn’t accidental that. He didn’t accidental that. He did not accidental that,” Cuomo told reporters connected Monday erstwhile asked astir Trump’s comments connected 60 Minutes.

He added: “Mamdani is not a communist. He’s a socialist. But we don’t request a socialist politician either.”

Speaking to reporters successful the Washington Heights neighbourhood, Cuomo said: “He [Trump] called maine a atrocious Democrat. First of all, I hap to beryllium a bully Democrat and a arrogant Democrat, and I’m going to enactment a arrogant Democrat.”

After Cuomo mislaid the Democratic superior contention to Mamdani successful June, Trump publically urged him to enactment successful the contention – and besides reportedly spoke with Cuomo astir his campaign.

Since then, however, Cuomo has emphasised that helium has nary allegiance to Trump and insisted helium volition bash a amended occupation of lasting up to the president arsenic New York mayor.

Zohran Mamdani performs tai chi portion campaigning astatine a centre for elder citizens successful Manhattan’s Lower East Side connected October 31, 2025 [Brendan McDermid/Reuters]

How has Mamdani responded to Trump’s Cuomo support?

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani has painted Cuomo arsenic Trump’s prime for mayor, calling him a puppet of the president successful profoundly Democratic New York, and helium was speedy to respond to Trump’s latest comments.

“We’ve known since the superior that Andrew Cuomo was funded by the aforesaid billionaires that gave america Donald Trump’s 2nd term. Even conscionable until these last days, [Cuomo] denied that helium was Donald Trump’s preferred candidate,” Mamdani said successful an interrogation with CNN precocious connected Monday.

“But present it’s written retired for the full satellite to see,” Mamdani said, adding: “This is the antheral that Donald Trump wants to beryllium the adjacent politician of New York City and not due to the fact that he’ll beryllium bully for New Yorkers but due to the fact that he’ll beryllium bully for Donald Trump, and New Yorkers are exhausted of this docket successful Washington.”

Mamdani’s run has besides highlighted that Cuomo received an endorsement from Elon Musk, the world’s richest antheral and erstwhile a staunch state of Trump.

Mamdani besides responded to Trump’s menace to restrict funds for New York if helium wins. “It’s not Donald Trump’s to determine which metropolis oregon authorities volition get what money,” the Democratic campaigner said. “This is the wealth that New Yorkers are owed, and this is the wealth that we’re going to combat for.”

Mamdani, a subordinate of the Democratic Socialists of America, has campaigned for cosmopolitan escaped childcare, escaped nationalist buses and a rent frost for New Yorkers.

“He is spending $300m remodelling a White House ballroom, the aforesaid magnitude of wealth that could supply SNAP [food assistance] benefits for 100,000 New Yorkers,” Mamdani said, taking a excavation astatine the president.

Will Trump’s enactment enactment successful Cuomo’s favour?

Trump mislaid the ballot successful New York City himself by wide margins successful each 3 statesmanlike runs helium has made since 2016.

But compared to 2016 and 2020, helium dramatically shrunk the margins successful 2024, winning much than 30 percent of the ballot — the archetypal clip immoderate Republican has since 1988.

An overview of Cuomo’s show successful the Democratic superior this twelvemonth shows an overlap successful his enactment and the neighbourhoods wherever Trump won votes successful his 2024 statesmanlike run, including parts of confederate Brooklyn, Staten Island’s North Shore and sections of Queens, peculiarly with older, working-class and Orthodox Jewish populations.

So successful theory, Trump’s enactment could bolster Cuomo’s chances successful immoderate of these neighbourhoods.

Could a Trump nexus wounded Cuomo?

But Trump’s backing could besides beryllium a double-edged sword for Cuomo.

Overall, the metropolis leans heavy towards Democrats, truthful it is nary astonishment that Mamdani’s run has consistently been projecting Cuomo arsenic a proxy for Trump.

Cuomo did particularly good successful the superior against Mamdani successful neighbourhoods with ample Black and Hispanic communities.

But portion Trump made large gains with some communities successful 2024, his enactment among Black Americans and Hispanic Americans has dropped since. Trump’s plans to apprehension and deport immigrants has disproportionately wounded Latino communities crossed the US.

Could Sliwa voters power allegiance?

Polls suggest Mamdani whitethorn conflict to transverse the 50 percent threshold, but New York follows a first-past-the-post system, truthful whoever gets the astir votes wins.

Sliwa has rejected repeated calls implicit the months to discontinue the contention and alternatively rally his supporters down Cuomo, who could adjacent the spread with Mamdani if Sliwa supporters bash power sides.

A Marist New York City canvass past week — erstwhile Mamdani was starring with 48 percent support, Cuomo astatine 32 percent and Sliwa astatine 16 percent — besides recovered that if Sliwa were to driblet retired of the race, Mamdani would person wide enactment from 50 percent of apt voters compared with 44 percent for Cuomo.

In the past fewer weeks, Cuomo has besides appealed to GOP supporters, saying a ballot for the Republican Sliwa is simply a ballot for Mamdani.