NYC Mayoral Race Morphs Into Mamdani vs. Trump

One of the biggest races in Tuesday's election is the New York City mayoral contest. It's come down to a question of whether Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani can hold off former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but a Washington Post analysis suggests the race might be better seen as a contest between Mamdani and President Trump. The two just can't stop talking about each other, writes Sarah Ellison, and for good reason. "The fight benefits them both," she writes. "Trump has sought to portray Mamdani as the face of an extremist opposition, while Mamdani's vow to resist Trump has helped unify skeptical establishment Democrats against a common foe." Trump's comments in a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday, and Mamdani's reaction, help illustrate the point.

Trump bashed Mamdani as a "communist" and all but endorsed Cuomo. "I'm not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other, but if it's going to be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I'm gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you," he said, per the Hill. Trump also reiterated his threat to hold back federal funding to New York City should Mamdani win, and he offered a jokey assessment when asked about the comparisons being drawn between him and the state assemblyman: "Well, I think I'm a much better looking person than him," he said, per USA Today.

Mamdani wasted little time trying to capitalize on Trump's Cuomo comments. "Congratulations, Andrew Cuomo," he wrote on social media, depicting Trump's comments as a full endorsement of his rival. "I know how hard you worked for this." And later, he brought up the issue again as he led a sunrise walk, per the New York Times. "The answer to a Donald Trump presidency is not to create its mirror image here in City Hall," he said. "It is to create an alternative that can speak to what New Yorkers are so desperate to see in their own city and what they find in themselves and their neighbors every day—a city that believes in the dignity of everyone who calls this place home."

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As for Cuomo, he sought to distance himself from the president. A spokesperson called Trump's comments "stream of consciousness," not an endorsement, notes USA Today. And Cuomo has previously said he would not accept an endorsement from the president.