Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani charged that his rival, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is ‘conspiring’ with President Trump within the wake of a reported current cellphone name between Trump and Cuomo in regards to the race. Thursday, Aug. 07, 2025.
Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Democrat mayoral nominee and frontrunner Zohran Mamdani on Thursday seized on a report that his impartial rival Andrew Cuomo not too long ago spoke to President Trump in regards to the race over the cellphone, charging the pair have been “conspiring about the fate of this city.”
Mamdani made the accusations standing side-by-side with union members supporting his marketing campaign throughout an Aug. 7 press convention at 26 Federal Plaza. The constructing has performed host to day by day detentions of undocumented immigrants by Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers.
The occasion got here on the heels of a Wednesday night New York Occasions report that, citing unnamed sources, revealed a beforehand unknown current cellphone name between Trump and Cuomo, the Democratic former governor, during which they spoke in regards to the mayor’s race. Each Trump and Cuomo have disputed that the decision came about.
Zohran Mamdani responds to a report that rival mayoral candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo had a name with President Trump in regards to the mayor’s race. Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025.Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Mamdani — a Queens Meeting member — solid Cuomo’s alleged confab with Trump as a part of an try and undermine his personal practically 13-point Democratic major victory over the previous governor. He additional contended that Cuomo has “very little regard” for the Democratic Get together or the democratic course of.
“[Cuomo] would rather look past having been beaten by close to 13 points by a campaign that amassed more votes than any Democratic primary winner in New York City history, to the extent that he would actually have a conversation with the very president who is stealing food from the hungry, who is throwing New Yorkers and Americans from coast to coast off of their health care,” Mamdani stated. He was referencing the steep cuts to meals help and well being care included in Trump’s not too long ago handed “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Mamdani was joined by leaders and members of the New York State Nurses Affiliation, 32BJ SEIU, and 1199 SEIU. The latt
er two backed Cuomo within the major, however have since pivoted to help Mamdani within the common election as a substitute.
The lawmaker stated the reported name reveals that Cuomo “will sell working people out” for his personal pursuits, Trump’s, and people of billionaires — who boosted his major marketing campaign with boatloads of money.
“All of those interests are lining up as one and the same,” Mamdani stated. “It is time for us to say enough. It is time for us to make clear that what this city deserves is a mayor who, when he sees Donald Trump attacking the people of this city, will stand up and fight back against that vision, will not get on the phone with the architect of that vision.”
Cuomo rebuffs Trump name allegations: ‘That’s false’
Throughout his personal Thursday afternoon information convention, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo denied ever chatting with President Trump in regards to the 2025 mayor’s race, saying, “That’s false.”Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
The previous governor claimed that the final time he tried to, and will have, spoken with Trump was when he referred to as him after an murderer tried to kill him final 12 months.
“I can’t remember the last time that I spoke to President Trump,” Cuomo informed reporters. “I’ve never spoken to him about the mayor’s race.”
Cuomo’s denial on Thursday was extra fierce than that supplied by his spokesperson, Wealthy Azzopardi, on Wednesday, claiming that they had not “spoken in a while” with out clarifying when.
Trump himself denied that the decision came about to reporters in Washington, DC on Wednesday evening.
Cuomo additionally sought to make clear how he would method Trump as mayor, following a Thursday afternoon report from The Occasions that he informed metropolis enterprise leaders he doesn’t “personally” wish to struggle Trump.
He stated he would defend town “100% with everything I have learned and know” from Trump’s assaults, referencing his many battles with Trump as governor. However he stated he would additionally “try to work with Trump where I could.”
“Defend anything that offends New York values,” Cuomo stated. “But if you can find a way to work together and help New York City, then you work together.”
The previous governor additionally argued he’s the “last person” Trump would need as mayor within the five-way common election.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo makes an attempt to play a video of Queens Meeting Member and Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani throughout a press convention on Aug. 7, 2025.Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Cuomo stated Trump needs to maintain incumbent Mayor Adams in energy as a result of Adams is a “wholly-owned subsidiary” of Trump, presumably referring to the alleged quid professional quo between the pair. In the meantime, he stated Trump might choose Mamdani — a democratic socialist — as a political punching bag for the Republican Get together.
“If he put Adams in control, why wouldn’t he want to keep Adams in control,” Cuomo stated. “Or I could see him saying I want the Assemblyman to win because I could make a lot of points with him politically as evidence that the Democratic Party has lost its mind…I think I have the least to offer.”
Or, Cuomo stated, Trump might want Curtis Sliwa — the Republican nominee — to win, so he may work with a mayor from his personal celebration.
Mamdani stated throughout his personal occasion on Thursday by arguing that his administration will likely be “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare.” He stated Trump’s threats to denaturalize his citizenship standing and deport him are clear examples that the president is frightened of him changing into mayor.
“Those are the actions of a president who is afraid of the fact that I will actually deliver in a manner where he has simply betrayed,” Mamdani stated. “That is what we have to look at to understand that our campaign represents our city’s best chance at not only fighting back against authoritarianism, but understanding that democracy is also under attack from within.”
