Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo Secretly Talked on the Phone as Trump Weighs Endorsement in N.Y.C. Mayoral Race: Report

President Donald Trump is reportedly conducting serious research into the upcoming New York City mayoral race.

The New York Times reported on August 6 that Trump has “quizzed a Republican congressman and New York businessmen” about which candidate stands the best chance of defeating Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.

The race features Republican Curtis Sliwa, incumbent Eric Adams, and former New York governor Andrew Cuomo. Adams declared in April he would seek reelection as an independent, while Cuomo entered the race as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani.

According to the Times, pollster Mark Penn and former New York City Council president Andrew Stein have briefed Trump, both endorsing Cuomo as the strongest candidate.

The outlet also cites three unnamed sources claiming Trump spoke directly with Cuomo on a previously undisclosed phone call in recent weeks.

However, Cuomo’s spokesman Rich Azzopardi told the Times that the former governor had not spoken with Trump “in a while,” adding, “As far as I know, they have not discussed the race.”

It remains unclear who initiated the call or what was discussed, but if confirmed, this would mark an intriguing development considering the complex political history between Trump and Cuomo.

Back in May, The New York Times reported that Trump’s Department of Justice had opened an investigation alleging Cuomo lied during congressional testimony about COVID-19 nursing home deaths in New York while he was governor.

At that time, Azzopardi told the paper he believed the investigation was intended to remove Cuomo from the mayoral race.

“We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now?” Azzopardi said. “The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple — something President Trump and his top Department of Justice officials say they are against.”

In June, Cuomo responded in an interview with Politico, promising that if elected mayor, he would use his position to challenge the Trump administration’s Medicaid cuts.

“I would spend eight years in Washington — go to that U.S. Conference of Mayors, go to the National Governors Association,” Cuomo said. “He’s cutting Medicaid. Medicaid is not a blue-city, blue-state situation. That is in every state. That is a lot of red congressional districts. And he could lose the House on cutting Medicaid if you organized it and got it moving.”

New York City receives billions in federal funding annually, which could provide Cuomo with political influence in Washington. Still, even if Cuomo wins the November 2025 election, the new mayor would not take office until January 1, 2026, leaving just over three years before Trump’s successor is inaugurated as the 48th U.S. president.

Cuomo’s emphasis on Medicaid as a nationwide concern has fueled speculation that his mayoral campaign might serve as a stepping stone toward the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.

Regardless of what lies ahead, Cuomo acknowledged that whoever wins the mayoral race can expect intense scrutiny from the Trump administration, describing it as the “price of admission.”

“Assume any person who becomes mayor will be investigated. Just assume that. If they oppose Trump, he will investigate them for leverage,” he said.