Cuomo Believes Trump Will Help Campaign

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a fundraiser he believes President Donald Trump and other Republicans will encourage people to vote for him for New York City mayor and not GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa.

"We can minimize (the Sliwa) vote, because he'll never be a serious candidate," Cuomo said at a Hamptons fundraiser, according to audio obtained by Politico. "And Trump himself, as well as top Republicans, will say the goal is to stop Mamdani. And you'll be wasting your vote on Sliwa. So I feel good about that."

Cuomo, who is running as an independent candidate is trailing Democrat nominee Zohran Mamdani in the polls, after losing to him in the Democrat primary in June.

While Cuomo has publicly shunned the president, who is unpopular in New York, The New York Times reported they have spoken about the race. A co-host of the Hamptons fundraiser, New York City Council President Andrew Stine, had briefed Trump on how Cuomo could win the general election, the Times reported.

"Let's put it this way: I knew the president very well," Cuomo said. "I believe there's a big piece of him that actually wants redemption in New York. He feels that he was rejected by New York. We voted for Hillary Clinton. Bill de Blasio took his name off things. So I believe there will be opportunities to actually cooperate with him. I also believe that he's not going to want to fight with me in New York if he can avoid it."

Sliwa dismissed Cuomo, telling Politico Republicans would remember him for "smacking fannies and killing grannies."

"Why don't we have a debate? And see how many Republicans go with Cuomo," Sliwa said. "In the streets we have a word for that: a fugazi, a fake."

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, said to Politico the former governor's comments were "speculating" about a "hypothetical."

"We're not asking for or expecting help from anyone," he said. "Governor Cuomo is the only chance to beat Mamdani and ensure the greatest city in the world stays the greatest city in the world."

A spokesman for Mamdani said in a statement Cuomo is too afraid to tell New Yorkers he's Trump choice for mayor.

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