President Donald Trump likely will come out the winner no matter who prevails in next week's New York City mayoral election, Politico reported.
If Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani wins, Trump gains a hard-left foil to demonize as he flexes federal power over deep-blue cities.
If former Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo stages a comeback, Trump will have new leverage over a longtime rival who's facing a potential Department of Justice inquiry into whether he lied to Congress, according to Politico.
Trump already has shown his influence over City Hall. The corruption charges against outgoing Mayor Eric Adams were dropped earlier this year after he warmed to the White House.
"Trump is in a good position no matter what happens on Nov. 4," said former state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., a Trump ally. "Whoever wins has to deal with Trump — and none of them can beat him. He's an 800-pound gorilla."
The race has become a microcosm of the Democratic Party's internal struggle between progressives and moderates.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old Queens assemblyman and self-described Democratic Socialist, has built a double-digit polling lead over Cuomo, while Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa trails far behind.
A Mamdani victory, Politico noted, would give Trump a vivid example of left-wing governance to attack as the 2026 midterms approach.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump has privately told allies that Mamdani is "unbeatable" and that neither Cuomo nor Sliwa can close the gap.
Yet the president has eagerly used his platform to shape the race and the narrative surrounding it.
Trump used his social media platform to label Mamdani a "self-proclaimed New York City Communist" and warned that he would "defund democratic socialism" in his former home city.
"Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises," Trump wrote late last month on Truth Social. "He won't be getting any of it."
Mamdani, who could become New York's first Muslim mayor, has embraced the confrontation.
In a CNN interview Monday, he vowed to take Trump's administration to court "immediately" if federal troops were deployed or funding withheld.
He said the city must "stand up to Washington instead of collaborating with it."
Cuomo, meanwhile, is seeking redemption through an independent bid after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani.
The former governor, who resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations he denies, has cast himself as the experienced centrist capable of managing Trump's challenges.
During an appearance on NBC News "Meet the Press" earlier this month, Cuomo said that although he would “welcome” Adams' support (which did happen), he would reject any notion of backing from Trump, saying, "The tent isn't that big."
He has criticized Mamdani's rent-freeze proposal as "a slogan, not a solution," and said the socialist's agenda would bankrupt the city.
Trump, for his part, has mocked Sliwa for "wanting cats in Gracie Mansion" but has stopped short of endorsing anyone.
The president, Politico noted, appears comfortable regardless of the outcome: either he gets a socialist to vilify or an old rival to dominate.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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