Mamdani blasts Cuomo over report of phone call with Trump as president looms over NYC race

Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News on Aug 7, 2025

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NEW YORK — The potential involvement of President Donald Trump in the NYC mayoral election emerged as a key issue Thursday, with Andrew Cuomo’s camp denying a report that Cuomo and Trump spoke recently as the president weighs whether to attempt to thumb the scales of the race.

Front-runner Zohran Mamdani had a news conference planned late Thursday morning to address the issue.

The New York Times first reported that Cuomo and Trump spoke on the phone recently about the race, sparking a denial from Cuomo’s spokesperson.

“Didn’t happen,” Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi wrote on social media.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, wrote in a statement Wednesday that the reported calls were “a betrayal.”

“This is not just a shady backroom deal by a cynical politician, it is disqualifying,” Mamdani said.

Trump has been sharply critical of Mamdani, calling him a “communist,” and saying his election would be a disaster for New York.

Trump is an unpopular figure in the city, and it unclear how his endorsement or promotion of a candidate would help their candidacy.

Mayor Adams is already facing faced widespread backlash for his friendly relationship with Trump and the appearance of a corrupt deal between himself and the president in order to get his federal corruption indictment dropped.

Asked at an unrelated press conference in Brooklyn about The Times’ report, Adams said he, unlike Cuomo, hasn’t spoken to the president about his campaign.

“My conversations with the president is about bringing resources to the city,” he said.

The mayor added he believes Trump “loves New York” and, without mentioning Mamdani by name, suggested the president’s potential involvement is about stopping the Democratic nominee.

“I think everyone sees, you know, the threats we’re facing,” Adams said.