Trump threatens to cut funding for NY mayoral favorite: ‘Communist’

Cuomo is a former governor of New York and launched himself as an independent candidate after leaving the Democratic party after losing the primary to Mamdani. He and Trump are opponents and, during the pandemic, Cuomo frequently criticized Trump for the president’s handling of the health crisis.

President once again threatened the city with a cut in the transfer of federal funds. Trump said the largest city in the United States will not prosper or survive under a possible Democrat administration. If he wins, he will be the first Muslim to administer the municipality. “It will only get worse with a communist in charge, and I don’t want, as president, to waste good money on bad management. New York will be a complete and total economic and social disaster if Mamdani wins,” he wrote.

Trump also refuted the comparisons between him and his rival, that both were charismatic and had innovative ideas.. “I think I’m a much prettier person than him, don’t I?”, he replied. The president has previously called Mamdani a “lunatic communist” and said he has an “irritating voice.”

Democrat remains ahead in the dispute, with Cuomo in 2nd place. If he wins the race tomorrow, Mamdani will become the first Muslim mayor of the largest city in the United States. In third place is Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of crime patrol group Guardian Angels and radio host. From the same party as Trump, Sliwa did not receive the president’s support because he was “not a prominent name”.

After the interview, Mamdani wrote on social media “Trump supports Cuomo”. “Congratulations, Cuomo. I know how hard you worked for this,” the caption reads.

Government proposals involve free buses and freezing of rental prices. Mamdani also gained support by defending free daycare centers in the city and the creation of a municipal supermarket chain, to reduce the value of food. The proposal to control the cost of housing, regulated by the city administration, is attractive to residents of the metropolis who feel pressured by the cost of living. In June, the average rent in New York exceeded, for the first time, four thousand dollars (approximately R$21 thousand reais, at the exchange rate at the time), according to the real estate website StreetEasy.