In a post Monday on Truth Social, President Donald Trump urged New Yorkers to vote for independent candidate and former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying residents have “no choice” but to back him.

Trump also repeated a warning that he could withhold federal funds from New York City if Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, is elected.

“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him and hope he does a fantastic job,” Trump wrote.

Trump added that “a vote for Curtis Sliwa (who looks much better without the beret!) is a vote for Mamdani,” echoing a message Cuomo has emphasized in recent weeks.

Why It Matters

Trump, a former New York resident, has loomed large over the city’s mayoral race for months. The Republican president has repeatedly threatened to arrest Mamdani, deport him and take control of the city if he wins.

Elections on November 4, including a mayoral election in New York and two gubernatorial contests, will by a key a barometer for Trump as his Republican’s as polls show the president’s support waning and as frustration grows with the government shutdown.

Poor showings on Tuesday could spell trouble for Trump and the Republican Party in next year’s midterm elections and give a boost to beleaguered Democrats.

What To Know

More than 735,000 New Yorkers cast ballots during the city’s nine days of early, in-person voting — more than four times the total from 2021, the only other mayoral race to offer early voting.

The turnout fell short of the nearly 1.1 million early, in-person votes cast in last year’s presidential election, but several polling sites reported heavy crowds Sunday, the final day of early voting. At one downtown Brooklyn location, the line wrapped around the building and, at times, voters waited up to an hour to cast their ballots.

Mamdani has seen his polling lead slip to just 43.9 percent of support in the final AtlasIntel Poll for the New York City mayoral race, while Cuomo trails at 39.4 percent.

The tightening in the race comes just one day before Election Day as Sliwa’s backing dropped sharply, narrowing Mamdani’s lead to just 4.5 percentage points.

The previous poll, conducted over the five days prior, showed Mamdani, 34, with a wider lead over his opponents, at 40.6 percent compared to 34 percent and 24.1 percent, respectively. 

However, the Real Clear Polling average of polls puts Mamdani’s advantage at +14.7 points over Cuomo.

What People Are Saying

Cuomo was not directly asked about Trump’s comments during an interview Monday evening on WABC Radio but said he agreed with the sentiment: “The president is right. A vote for Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani. And that’s why this election is now up to the Republicans.”

Mamdani, wrote on X Sunday after Trump told 60 Minutes that he would choose Cuomo over Mamdani: “Congratulations, @AndrewCuomo. I know how hard you worked for this.”

Mamdani told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday night after Trump and billionaire Elon Musk announced their backing of Cuomo: “We’re seeing the two twin architects of this second term … saying clearly to New Yorkers their candidate is [Cuomo]. And they’ve picked [Cuomo] because they know he will be the puppet that they want here in NYC.”

Conservative commentator Tomi Lahren wrote on X, “So I know a lot of folks think @CurtisSliwa should drop out and I considered that as the best option too but now? Nah. Why throw Cuomo and NYC that lifeline? Why should Curtis have to back down to **maybe** save that city from its own stupidity? You all had plenty of time and best you could come up with in your Dem hellhole was Cuomo and Mam-commie. I hate to see NYC flounder but at some point, it’s on you guys. If you get Mamdani or even Cuomo, it’s a testament to your own stupidity. Good luck.”

Trump’s Monday Truth Social post said in full, “If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the Election for Mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home, because of the fact that, as a Communist, this once great City has ZERO chance of success, or even survival! It can only get worse with a Communist at the helm, and I don’t want to send, as President, good money after bad. It is my obligation to run the Nation, and it is my strong conviction that New York City will be a Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster should Mamdani win. His principles have been tested for over a thousand years, and never once have they been successful. I would much rather see a Democrat, who has had a Record of Success, WIN, than a Communist with no experience and a Record of COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE. He was nothing as an Assemblyman, ranked at the bottom of the class and, as Mayor of potentially, again, the Greatest City in the World, HE HAS NO CHANCE to bring it back to its former Glory! We must also remember this — A vote for Curtis Sliwa (who looks much better without the beret!) is a vote for Mamdani. Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!”

What Happens Next

Election Day is Tuesday. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in New York City.

Updates: 11/3/25, 7:49 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.