# BREAKING: TRUMP ENDORSES CUOMO FOR NYC MAYOR – DECLARES ZOHRAN MAMDA NI WOULD DOOM CITY TO “ZERO SURVIVAL”
In a seismic intervention that has electrified the final hours of New York City’s mayoral race, President Donald J. Trump has thrown his full weight behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo, branding Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani a “Communist” whose election would spell “ZERO chance of success, or even survival” for the nation’s largest metropolis. The endorsement, delivered via a fiery Truth Social post late Monday evening, comes on the eve of Election Day and threatens to upend a contest already pulsing with national intrigue, personal vendettas, and stark visions for America’s beating economic heart.
“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,” Trump wrote, in a characteristically blunt missive that blended reluctant praise with dire warnings. “He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!” The president, who once sparred fiercely with Cuomo during his first term, escalated the stakes further by vowing to slash federal funding to New York City to the “very minimum as required” if Mamdani prevails. “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,” Trump added. “His principles have been tested for over a thousand years, and never once have they been successful.”
The post, which has already garnered over 2 million views and sparked a torrent of reactions across social media, arrives amid a neck-and-neck general election featuring three major candidates: Mamdani, the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist state assemblyman who stunned the political world by toppling Cuomo in June’s Democratic primary; Cuomo, the scandal-scarred independent making a high-stakes comeback bid; and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican Guardian Angels founder polling in the low teens but siphoning conservative votes that could prove decisive. Trump’s explicit call to consolidate behind Cuomo—dismissing Sliwa’s candidacy as a “vote for Mamdani”—could galvanize moderates and independents wary of the progressive firebrand, potentially narrowing Mamdani’s poll lead to a razor-thin margin just as early voting records shatter expectations.
### A Race Born from Chaos: From Adams’ Fall to a Progressive Surge
To understand the frenzy of November 4, 2025, one must rewind to the turbulent spring of 2024, when incumbent Mayor Eric Adams—once hailed as a crime-fighting bulwark—found himself ensnared in federal corruption probes that would doom his reelection dreams. Accusations of cozying up to Trump to quash investigations, coupled with plummeting approval ratings amid migrant crises and subway safety fears, forced Adams to drop out of the Democratic primary in April 2025 and pivot to an ill-fated independent run. He ultimately endorsed Cuomo in a bid for relevance, but the move only amplified perceptions of a fractured Democratic establishment desperate to halt a socialist insurgency.
Enter Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a Ugandan-born, Queens-raised assemblyman whose improbable ascent has redefined New York politics. Born in 1991 to acclaimed Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, the Bronx High School of Science alum graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in Africana Studies before cutting his teeth as a foreclosure prevention counselor and hip-hop artist under the moniker “Mr. Cardamom.” Inspired by Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign, Mamdani joined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and stormed into office in 2020 as the first South Asian man, first Ugandan-American, and third Muslim in New York State Assembly history, representing Astoria’s 36th District.
Mamdani’s mayoral bid, launched in October 2024, ignited like a powder keg among young, diverse, and disillusioned voters. His platform—rent freezes for one million stabilized apartments, fare-free buses, universal childcare from six weeks old, and aggressive police reform—tapped into post-pandemic anxieties over skyrocketing costs and inequality. He pledged to honor International Criminal Court warrants, including potential arrests of foreign leaders like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during city visits, a stance that drew fire from pro-Israel groups but electrified progressives. By June’s ranked-choice primary, Mamdani had orchestrated a stunning upset, edging out Cuomo by mobilizing a youthquake: over 735,000 early votes in the general election alone signal a turnout surge four times that of 2021, skewed heavily toward under-35s who favor him by 60 points in recent Emerson polls.
Critics, however, paint Mamdani as a radical novice. Billionaire Bill Ackman decried his “fake smile” after a debate, while the New York Post splashed “SCAMDANI” headlines, accusing him of identity opportunism—referencing a 2009 college application where he checked boxes for “Asian” and “Black or African American.” Islamophobic whispers and attacks on his Palestinian advocacy have shadowed the campaign, with Mamdani countering that such smears reflect a desperate establishment clinging to power. Endorsements from Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and even a surprise call from former President Barack Obama have burnished his credentials, with Obama praising his “grace and courage” in a Newark rally stop.
Andrew Cuomo’s entry into the fray was the stuff of political resurrection tales. The son of legendary Gov. Mario Cuomo, Andrew rose to national prominence as New York’s chief executive from 2011 to 2021, earning Emmy awards for his COVID briefings and steering billions in infrastructure investments. But his empire crumbled in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations from over a dozen women, forcing a resignation under threat of impeachment. Denying the claims as politically motivated, Cuomo vanished from public life briefly before resurfacing in 2023 with anti-“cancel culture” screeds and hints of a comeback.
By March 2025, with Adams flailing, Cuomo launched his mayoral bid, positioning himself as the “proven progressive” who could deliver safety, affordability, and federal dollars in a Trump-dominated Washington. Running as a Democrat initially, he led early polls but faltered against Mamdani’s grassroots machine, conceding the primary in a bitter defeat. Undeterred, Cuomo relaunched as an independent in July, courting moderates, labor unions like 32BJ SEIU, and even some Hasidic leaders who split endorsements in Brooklyn.
Cuomo’s campaign has been a masterclass in grievance politics: He lambasts Mamdani as an “extremist” whose “rent freezes” would trigger a landlord exodus and whose inexperience invites federal overreach. At a Washington Heights presser Monday, Cuomo spun Trump’s nod as validation of his anti-Trump bona fides: “Only one candidate has a record of standing up to Trump… If you want National Guard on the streets and choked funding, vote for Zohran.” Yet, the embrace cuts both ways—Cuomo’s team insists it’s no “stream of consciousness” blessing but a targeted anti-Mamdani salvo, even as Mamdani’s camp mocks it as the “kiss of death” for a “predator” seeking Trump’s pardon.
Sliwa, the beret-wearing Republican, rounds out the field with a law-and-order pitch, advocating no-kill animal shelters and blistering both rivals as “socialists in suits.” Polling at 15-21%, he’s a wildcard: Trump urged his supporters to abandon Sliwa for Cuomo, but X chatter from MAGA diehards shows splintering loyalty.
### The Stakes: A City on the Brink, a Nation Watching
New York City, Trump’s “beloved first home,” stands at a crossroads. Post-COVID recovery has been uneven: Crime dipped under Adams but lingers in subways; housing costs devour 50% of median incomes; and an influx of 200,000 migrants strains shelters. Mamdani envisions a “people’s city”—free transit to slash emissions, childcare to boost workforce participation, and rent controls to stem displacement—drawing cheers from DSA chapters and youth organizers who’ve canvassed 100,000 doors. Detractors, including a $2.5 million super PAC barrage from Bloomberg and Ackman, warn of economic Armageddon: Capital flight, service breakdowns, and a DSA “takeover” that alienates business.
Cuomo counters with executive gravitas: Tax incentives for developers, NYPD surge funding, and a pledge to wrangle federal aid—even from a hostile White House. His backers, from ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio holdouts to Staten Island conservatives, see him as the firewall against “chaos.” Yet scandals haunt him: Ongoing probes into nursing home COVID deaths and harassment suits could resurface in a Cuomo mayoralty.
Trump’s shadow looms largest. His “60 Minutes” tease Sunday—”If it’s between a bad Democrat and a Communist, I’m gonna pick the bad Democrat”—framed the race as a national referendum on socialism. Mamdani fired back at an Astoria rally: “Trump’s embrace of Cuomo proves this isn’t about New York—it’s about his authoritarian playbook.” On X, the backlash is volcanic: #Scamdani trends alongside #CuomoKissOfDeath, with users like @NoMoCorpDems declaring, “Trump just handed Mamdani the keys to City Hall.” Polymarket odds flipped overnight, with Mamdani’s win at 72% pre-endorsement now teetering at 55%.
### Echoes on the Ground: Voters Weigh In
In a city of 8.8 million, the divide is visceral. At a Bronx soul food spot, 28-year-old teacher Aisha Rahman clutches a Mamdani flyer: “Zohran gets it—rent’s killing us. Trump’s threats? Just more billionaire bullying.” Across the river in Brooklyn, retiree Frank Rossi, 62, nods at Cuomo signs: “Kid’s got ideas, but Cuomo’s delivered. No way we let DC choke our funds.”
X pulses with raw sentiment. “Trump’s right—Mamdani’s a TikTok activist with a death wish for NYC,” posts @CityDeskNYC, echoing fears of “Marxist experiments.” Counter: @TIKdOffPinsNTh1 predicts, “Everything Trump touches turns to —Cuomo’s done.” Even neutral observers like @Pizzintwatch note the volatility: “Elon Musk’s Cuomo nod adds late momentum, but youth turnout could drown it.”
### Dawn of Decision: What Happens Next?
As polls open at 6 a.m., the air crackles with uncertainty. Mamdani’s lead—46% to Cuomo’s 33% in Quinnipiac’s October survey—has shrunk to 10 points in Suffolk’s latest, with 4% undecided and Sliwa’s bloc in flux. A Cuomo upset would vindicate Trump’s kingmaking, buoy moderates nationwide, and hand the ex-governor a pulpit to rehab his image. Mamdani’s triumph? A DSA triumph, signaling the left’s grip on urban America and a direct clash with Washington.
In the end, this isn’t just about potholes or policing—it’s a proxy war for New York’s soul, where glamour meets grit, and one man’s tweet could rewrite the skyline. Will the Big Apple bite the apple of socialism, or cling to its comeback king? By midnight tomorrow, we’ll know. Until then, the city that never sleeps debates on.
