Andrew Cuomo is denying any contact between his campaign team and the White House amid reports that Donald Trump’s administration is attempting to intervene in the New York City mayoral race.
During a campaign stop on Thursday, the former governor said his staff has not been in touch with the president in an effort to “clear the field” for Cuomo to take on Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani head-to-head in the November election.
“I read the rumors, but no, it is up to Mayor Adams whether or not he wants to run or get out of the race,” Cuomo said. “If he doesn’t want to run then he’ll decide what to do next in his career.”
The New York Times on Wednesday reported that Trump and his advisers had discussed possible administration roles for Adams and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa — they said it was unclear if any specific jobs had been discussed or if Adams would consider accepting one.
Mamdani accused the president of attempting to interfere with the electoral process.
“We’ve learned what New Yorkers have long suspected: That Andrew Cuomo is Donald Trump’s choice to be the next mayor of this city. Today’s news that the white house is considering job offers for Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa, it is not news that carries meaning because of any impact it will have on this race. We feel just as confident as we did yesterday that we will win this race in November,” Mamdani said.
He later went on to tell NBC New York that it is a “betrayal of the city and it is an example of why so many New Yorkers are disaffected by politics.”
Adams’ campaign denied the report, stressing the mayor is committed to the race.
“Mayor Adams has made it clear he will not respond to every rumor that comes up. He will remain focused, not be distracted, and grind for New Yorkers. He has had no discussions with, nor has he met with, President Donald Trump regarding the mayoral race,” a spokesperson said in a statement to News 4. “The Mayor is fully committed to winning this election, with millions of New Yorkers preparing to cast their votes.”
Sliwa also rejected the idea he would leave the campaign.
“The White House has not contacted me, and I’m not interested in a job with the White House. My focus is right here in New York. I’m the only candidate on a major party line who can defeat Mamdani, and I’m committed to carrying this fight through to Election Day. The people of New York City deserve a mayor who truly cares,” Sliwa said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.
