Overview

• The New York Times reported that President Trump spoke by phone with Andrew Cuomo about blocking Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a claim Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi has called false.
• Zohran Mamdani branded the alleged coordination “disqualifying” and accused Cuomo of conspiring against the will of city voters.
• Sources say Trump consulted advisers such as pollster Mark Penn and former City Council President Andrew Stein on which candidate could best defeat Mamdani.
• Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams are running independent campaigns that, alongside Republican Curtis Sliwa, have splintered the anti-Mamdani electorate.
• Cuomo’s proposal to hire 5,000 NYPD officers and boost starting salaries has been dismissed as “make-believe” by Adams and criticized by Sliwa amid the focus on public safety and strategic alliances.