Trump’s Secret Plot to Stop Mamdani
Report reveals Trump allies exploring unprecedented deal: urging NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa to drop out, clearing the way for Andrew Cuomo to take on leftist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani alone.
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The bitter race for New York City mayor could be heading for a seismic twist. According to a report in The New York Times, advisers to President Donald Trump have been quietly discussing a backroom plan to reshape the contest and stop Zohran Mamdani, the progressive radical who currently leads the polls.
The idea under consideration is audacious: persuade both Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat seeking reelection, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa to step aside, allowing former Governor Andrew Cuomo to run head-to-head against Mamdani.
Mamdani, 33, a state assemblyman from Queens and a rising star of the Democratic Socialist movement, has built his campaign around housing, healthcare, and social justice. But his outspoken criticism of Israel and past support for the BDS movement have alarmed both pro-Israel groups and the city’s business elite. Recent polls show him with 30 to 40 percent support, enough to put City Hall within reach.
For Trump’s circle, the path to stopping Mamdani may run through Adams and Sliwa. Two sources told the Times that intermediaries have already sounded out Adams’ camp about a possible diplomatic appointment, perhaps even an ambassadorship, if he agrees to exit the race. Sliwa, a longtime Trump ally and radio personality, has publicly dismissed any interest in a government job, but his name remains part of the conversations.
Adams has denied holding talks with Trump, calling the speculation “hypothetical,” while insisting he is still campaigning for another term. Sliwa has also said no one from the White House has approached him, and vowed to stay in the race.
The political and business leaders are taking Mamdani’s surge seriously. Billionaire supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis told the Times he personally raised the issue with Trump, who he said is “very concerned” about the direction of the race. Cuomo, once a fixture of New York politics before resigning in 2021 amid scandal, has hinted at a comeback and marched prominently in this year’s Israel Day Parade.
Whether such a strategy is legally feasible remains unclear, as election law makes it difficult for candidates to withdraw once ballots are set. Still, the mere fact that conversations of this scale are happening reveals the deep anxiety Mamdani’s candidacy has sparked.