What happens when even a Democrat like Andrew Cuomo sounds the alarm about socialism in New York City? You know things have gone too far.
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, now a mayoral candidate, responded to President Donald Trump’s surprise endorsement — but made one thing clear: Trump doesn’t support him so much as he opposes the socialist threat posed by Democrat candidate Zohran Mamdani.
“The President does not support me, the President opposes Zohran Mamdani,” Cuomo explained. “The President believes Zohran Mamdani is a Communist, he believes he’s an existential threat. I believe he’s a Socialist, and an existential threat. And, not a dress-up Socialist, right. Their school of Socialism — this Democratic Socialists of America, government controls the means of production. No private ownership of real estate, abolish jails, decriminalize prostitution, this is frightening stuff.”
Cuomo’s warning echoed Trump’s stark message to New Yorkers earlier this week. On Truth Social, Trump urged voters to back Cuomo over Mamdani, warning that the city would “be a Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster should Mamdani win.” He added that while he 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,” a vote for Republican Curtis Sliwa would unfortunately “be a vote for Mamdani.”
That statement raised eyebrows, but Trump’s reasoning was strategic: New York City’s three-way race could split the anti-socialist vote, clearing the path for Mamdani — a self-described Democratic Socialist — to win with a minority of the vote.
And Mamdani’s platform? It reads like a far-left manifesto. He’s promised to “stand up for” sanctuary city policies protecting illegal aliens from federal enforcement, vowed to strengthen New York’s ban on local police cooperation with ICE, and even proposed city-run grocery stores. On a 2020 podcast, Mamdani argued that police shouldn’t respond to domestic disputes, claiming “police do not create safety.”
It’s a vision that worries even old-guard Democrats. Cuomo’s critique of the Democratic Socialists of America underscores a growing rift within his own party — a split between traditional liberals and the radical progressives who now dominate many city halls and state legislatures.
Polling shows how close this race really is — and how much is at stake. According to a recent AtlastIntel survey, Mamdani leads with 43.9 percent, followed by Cuomo at 39.4 percent, and Sliwa at 15.5 percent. But in a head-to-head matchup, Cuomo beats Mamdani 49.7 to 44.1 — proof that New Yorkers are uneasy about handing their city to a socialist.
Even in one of America’s bluest cities, voters appear wary of an agenda that seeks to abolish jails, defund police, and erase private property rights.
The fact that both Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo — two men who rarely agree on anything — now share the same warning says it all. Socialism isn’t just bad politics; it’s a danger to the very survival of New York City.
