President Donald Trump made an 11th-hour endorsement of Andrew Cuomo in New York City's mayoral election on Monday, calling on Republicans to support him over GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa. While Trump’s reasoning—that a communist-sympathizing candidate would devastate the city—is completely legit, his public intervention accomplished the exact opposite of what he intended.
Trump's statement packed real rhetorical firepower. “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, because of the fact that, as a Communist, this once great City has ZERO chance of success, or even survival!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “It can only get worse with a Communist at the helm, and I don’t want to send, as President, good money after bad. It is my obligation to run the Nation, and it is my strong conviction that New York City will be a Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster should Mamdani win.”
While Trump articulated a genuine concern about Zohran Mamdani's left-wing ideology and its track record of failure, he seemed to damn Cuomo with faint praise: “I would much rather see a Democrat, who has had a Record of Success, WIN, than a Communist with no experience and a Record of COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE.”
Yes, Trump has a point. Cuomo, despite his flaws and being an awful person, at least has actually governed before, and that executive experience is necessary to run a city like New York. I will give him that. But Cuomo isn’t the savior that anyone on the right claims him to be.
The tactical argument some conservatives advanced—that voting for Republican Curtis Sliwa amounts to a Mamdani victory—held superficial appeal but didn't reflect reality. Despite a recent poll showing Cuomo competitive in a three-way race, polling data consistently showed Mamdani leading throughout the race, and most analysts concluded that even without Sliwa splitting the anti-Mamdani vote, Cuomo would still come up short. The math simply didn't support the strategic claim.
Related: Zohran Mamdani Isn’t the Problem
Nevertheless, Trump doubled down by calling on Republicans not to vote for Sliwa. “We must also remember this — A vote for Curtis Sliwa (who looks much better without the beret!) is a vote for 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!”
If Trump genuinely wants to see Cuomo win — and I can’t understand why he would — then he made a critical error.
Cuomo immediately distanced himself from the endorsement, essentially telling voters he doesn't need Trump's backing and would stand up to him as mayor. That response handed Mamdani a gift-wrapped messaging opportunity. The socialist candidate seized on the Trump endorsement to paint Cuomo as being in cahoots with Trump — exactly the narrative Mamdani needed to consolidate support among his base and energize wavering voters concerned about outside interference.
Moreover, Trump essentially endorsed someone who wouldn't reciprocate his support. Cuomo spent election day making clear he'd oppose Trump by default. Make no mistake about it, these men aren’t allies. Cuomo won’t make New York great again. If Trump genuinely believed Cuomo represented the lesser evil and wanted to prevent Mamdani from winning, silence would have been the superior play. New York City isn't exactly Trump country, and his endorsement will most likely divide Cuomo supporters and embolden Mamdani voters.
