Hochul Slams Trump Over Reported Role in NYC Mayoral Race: ‘He’s not a kingmaker’

Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday criticized reports that former President Donald Trump and his advisers are considering a plan to influence the New York City mayoral race, warning him to keep out of local politics.

According to sources, the White House team is allegedly weighing the idea of offering Mayor Eric Adams a position, possibly an ambassadorship, that would allow him to step away from his struggling re-election campaign. The move could open the path for former Governor Andrew Cuomo, making it easier for him to challenge Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.

“Contrary to what the president thinks, he’s not a king, he’s not a kingmaker, and he should not be anointing the next mayor of New York City,” Hochul said during a press conference following a separate event on Long Island. While she stopped short of naming Cuomo directly, Hochul indicated that her predecessor should “not be accepting” such support. “There will be a sense that people are compromised if they’re getting the road cleared because of who the president wants as the next mayor that he believes he can control, clearly that’s why he’s doing it. I have to stand up against that,” she added.

Cuomo, speaking to reporters a day earlier, distanced himself from Trump’s involvement. “I don’t want him involved in the race,” Cuomo stated on Thursday.

Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa has also been mentioned in reports as facing pressure to bow out of the contest, but he has rejected those calls.

Hochul’s remarks mark some of her sharpest criticism yet regarding the mayoral election, which has become increasingly tense. Despite Mamdani clinching the Democratic nomination back in June, Hochul has refrained from issuing an endorsement in the competitive race.

Meanwhile, other senior Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie have drawn frustration from progressives within the party for withholding their support of Mamdani, who remains the frontrunner.

Hochul Slams Trump Over Reported Role in NYC Mayoral Race: ‘He’s not a kingmaker’