‘New Yorkers Are Being Stolen!’ Mamdani Accuses Cuomo of a ‘Betrayal’ By Speaking to Trump
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s nominee for mayor of New York, pulled no punches on Thursday in hammering his closest rival in the race – former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent.
Mamdani cited recent reports that President Donald Trump spoke to Cuomo about the race amid a pressure campaign from allies of Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams to step in to try and stop Mamdani’s march to city hall.
“We are standing in front of Federal Plaza, the very site where New Yorkers are being stolen—whether from their families, their friends, or from the city that they call home. It is at this very site that we understand the cost of this news: that former Governor Cuomo has been conspiring with President Trump about the fate of this city, about the future of this city, about the facts of this race,” Mamdani said in a public address, adding:
It is knowledge that is a betrayal of everything that we stand for as New Yorkers.
We know that this former governor has very little regard—whether it be for the Democratic Party, the Democratic process, or for Democrats themselves—because he 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, and doing so all in service of yet another significant wealth transfer from those who do not have enough in their pockets to those who have more than they know what to do with,” continued Mamdani, who is also a registered Democratic Socialist. He concluded:
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 to speak about a race that we already know should be a referendum on how to make the most expensive city in the United States of America affordable, not a question of how we can install yet another ambassador for Washington D.C. in City Hall.
The job of mayor is not to audition to be the jester for a wannabe king. It is to be the person that stands up for the values of this city, for the fabric of this city, and for the people of this city. And that is what I’m running to do.
I believe the New York Times over President Trump and Andrew Cuomo. And we’ve seen as of this morning that they stand by their reporting. I’ve appreciated the conversations that I’ve had—fruitful and productive ones—with Leader Jeffries, with Senator Schumer, with Governor Hochul. And I look forward to the partnership that we will continue to build for the benefit of people across this city and across this state.
Watch the clip above.
