WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he aims to root out political corruption in New York City but he begged off making an endorsement in the mayor’s race on July 8.
After a reporter asked who Trump preferred for mayor, the president initially criticized Zohran Mamdani, a state Assembly member who won the Democratic primary, as “a disaster” and as “not very capable.”
Trump has previously attacked Mamdani, describing him as a communist, which is false. Mamdani is a democratic socialist. Trump has threatened to arrest Mamdani if he obstructs federal immigration enforcement.
Mamdani, 33, has said he wouldn’t be intimidated by Trump’s criticism.
At a Cabinet meeting to highlight his administration’s accomplishments, Trump then ticked off advantages and disadvantages for other candidates.
Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor, lost the Democratic primary to Mamdani but is on the general election ballot as an independent.
“Cuomo does have capability, but he got knocked out,” Trump said.
Mayor Eric Adams, a centrist Democrat, is running as an independent, after Trump pardoned him for federal bribery charges.
Curtis Sliwa, the beret-wearing CEO of the Alliance of Guardian Angels, is a perennial Republican candidate in the largely Democratic city.
“Curtis runs every four years,” Trumps said. “He seems to be a fixture on the running scale.”
“I’m not getting involved,” Trump added.
Trump, a native New Yorker who inherited and managed a real-estate empire in the city before moving to Florida, said he would like to fix the city.
“We’re going to straighten out New York,” said Trump, who has threatened to withhold federal funding from Mamdani if he pursues policies anathema to the White House. “Maybe we’ll have to straighten it out from Washington.”
Trump criticized state Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who won more than $450 million from Trump in a civil case over fraudulent business claims, in a ruling he is appealing.
Trump didn’t mention him, but Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg convicted him between his presidential terms of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, another verdict Trump is appealing. Bragg easily won renomination this year in the overwhelmingly Democratic borough.
“All they want to do is want to go after their political opponents,” Trump said of New York officials.
But he said he wanted to help the city.
“We’re going to do something for New York,” Trump added. “I can’t tell you what yet. But we’re going to make New York great again.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump analyzes NYC mayoral race but declines to support a candidate
