President Donald Trump criticized New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and floated potential consequences for her endorsement of Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race.
Hochul held off on an endorsement for several months, previously expressing skepticism about Mamdani. “You have a lot of healing to do with the Jewish community. Many of your words have been hurtful and hateful to people in their interpretation,” Hochul told Mamdani in July.
On Sunday, the New York Times published an opinion column from Hochul where she announced her support for the Democratic socialist. The governor explained that the two had been in communication over the past few months to discuss their priorities. Hochul noted that while she and Mamdani "had our disagreements," they were aligned on their commitment to ensure New York City is safe and affordable.
'They deserve each other.'
"I also shared with him my priorities, making it very clear that our police officers should have every resource to keep our streets and subways safe. I urged him to ensure that there is strong leadership at the helm of the NYPD — and he agreed," Hochul wrote. "We discussed the need to combat the rise of anti-Semitism urgently and unequivocally."
"And in light of the abhorrent and destructive policies coming out of Washington every day, I needed to know the next mayor will not be someone who would surrender one inch to President Trump," Hochul added.
She labeled anyone who "accepts [Trump's] tainted influence or benefits from it" as "compromised from the start."
"Governor Hochul has made affordability the centerpiece of her work. I look forward to fighting alongside her to continue her track record of putting money back in New Yorkers' pockets and building a safer and stronger New York City where no one is forced to leave just so they can afford to raise a family," Mamdani said.
"I'm grateful to the Governor for her support in unifying our party — as well as the work she's done standing up to President Trump, securing free lunch meals for our kids, and expanding access to childcare."
RELATED: Is Trump meddling with Mamdani's candidacy?
Trump responded to Hochul's endorsement of Mamdani in a post on Truth Social.
"Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has Endorsed the 'Liddle' Communist,' Zohran Mamdani, running for Mayor of New York. This is a rather shocking development, and a very bad one for New York City. How can such a thing happen?" Trump wrote.
"Washington will be watching this situation very closely. No reason to be sending good money after bad!" he stated.
RELATED: NYC Mayor Adams reveals 'important' campaign announcement as dropout speculations swirl
Mamdani's challengers include current Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent; former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D); and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
"The worst governor in America just endorsed the worst candidate for mayor. They deserve each other. New Yorkers see through the backroom politics and know Curtis Sliwa is fighting for them, not the insiders," stated Daniel Kurzyna, a spokesperson for Sliwa's campaign.
"Curtis will be mayor this year, [Rep.] Elise Stefanik will be governor next year, and the nonsense will finally end," Kurzyna added.
Stefanik stated that it was "only a matter of time before the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul would bend the knee to the Communist Antisemite Zohran Mamdani."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
New York City's Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has soared to stardom within his party, championing socialist policies and promising affordability. Now, President Donald Trump may be attempting to tip the scales.
Trump has reportedly tried to trim down the playing field to weaken Mamdani's chances of winning the general election. Although Mamdani has enjoyed a comfortable lead over the star-studded cast of candidates, consolidating the race would toughen the chances for the 33-year-old socialist.
'Are we a party that rallies behind our nominee or not?'
Mamdani's main challengers include current NYC Mayor Eric Adams and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both of whom boast lengthy political careers. Despite this, Adams has trailed significantly behind both Cuomo and Mamdani, sometimes polling in single digits.
Notably, polls show that Cuomo's odds improve against Mamdani if Adams is taken out of the equation.
RELATED: Jasmine Crockett's jaw-dropping defense of criminals: 'They literally are trying to survive'
In light of this disparity, some reports claimed the White House was weighing offering Adams a position in the administration if he stepped out of the race. One such position included nominating Adams to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia, according to the New York Post.
Despite the cushy offer, Adams doubled down on staying in the race and running as an independent.
"Andrew Cuomo is a snake and a liar, I am in this race, and I am the only one that can beat Mamdani," Adams said Friday.
RELATED: Exclusive: Tom Emmer torches Tim Walz's 'failed' leadership, says he should 'have his head examined'
Even with the probability of Adams as a spoiler, high-ranking Democrats have refrained from making any formal endorsements in the race. As of this writing, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have all withheld from endorsing the Democratic nominee.
“We have a Democratic nominee,” Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told reporters. “Are we a party that rallies behind our nominee or not?”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
www.theblaze.com