At a press briefing, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) warned that President Trump will attempt a takeover of NYC if Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani becomes Mayor.
00:00Yeah, I read. I got it. I get the whole gossip and the intrigue and President Trump, et cetera.
00:23I can't remember the last time I spoke to President Trump. I did call and leave word after the assassination attempt, just expressing concern.
00:41I left word. I didn't speak to him at that time. I've never spoken to him about the mayor's race.
00:47I have spoken to him when I was governor dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of times, right?
00:57We went through COVID together. I went to the White House on numerous occasions.
01:03So we've had very intimate dealings on many levels and many difficult, contentious confrontations.
01:17As you all know, because you were there. And we've also done productive work together, I believe.
01:28On the entire topic, look, if you want to play palace intrigue, you have Mayor Adams, who's running, who is a wholly owned subsidiary of President Trump, right?
01:44You have Curtis Sliwa, who's a Republican, and President Trump is head of the Republican Party.
01:54And then you have the Assemblyman, who I think politically, this is my opinion, the Republicans would have a field day if New York City elected Mayor Mamdani.
02:08Because they would use him politically, you know, they'd do a poster of Mamdani the commie, right?
02:18They'd call him a commie. They'd run around the country and say the Democratic Party lost its mind.
02:27So I think politically they would have a field day with it.
02:30I also think President Trump meant what he said, and it was a quip, but he said something to the effect of, well, then I would have to take over New York City, right, if Mamdani was elected.
02:48I think there's something to that.
02:52I think he would say New York City has a crime problem.
02:57New York City has an immigration problem.
03:00New York City just elected a communist mayor who has no experience, and the federal government has to come in to help.
03:08I think it would be like Los Angeles on steroids, right?
03:13Well, the federal government has to come in.
03:15I think the president would like to have control of New York City.
03:21I think that's why he did what he did with Mayor Adams, right?
03:26Why get involved with Mayor Adams, who's charged criminally and come in personally and come up with this very unusual arrangement where you'll drop the charges conditioned on his cooperation with your administration.
03:46Why would you do that?
03:48Because he wants control of New York City.
03:51Why did he take over the Penn Station project?
03:54Because he wants control of New York City.
03:57Why does he want control of New York City?
03:59Because he's from New York City, and New York is New York.
04:02That's why.
04:03So I think he would use Mayor Mamdani, if that were to happen, as a reason to exert much more federal authority.
04:18And again, Los Angeles on steroids, and he would point to the problems, which he could do, the inexperience, et cetera, and the politics of it.
04:32I believe that would happen.
04:34For myself, as I said, I used the expression yesterday or the day before.
04:45I said during COVID, I had a dysfunctional relationship with the president that was like a dysfunctional marriage.
04:53It's a joke.
04:54Every morning you get up, and it's the same person.
04:57It's the same conversation.
04:58We went through a very, very difficult time with COVID.
05:05I've had a lot of arguments, disputes, differences of opinion with President Trump about COVID, about the time when he was considering quarantine for New York,
05:24which would have been devastating, about tax policy vis-a-vis New York, about aid to New York.
05:34There's no doubt that we have had many contentious issues.
05:41And for me, it's very simple.
05:42What I would do as mayor, I would defend New York 100% with everything I have learned and know and with every ounce of strength.
06:02And I know a lot about government because I've done it all my life.
06:07I've been in the federal government.
06:09I was a cabinet secretary.
06:10I ran the state.
06:11I know the city.
06:14So my knowledge gives me an ability to be in a formidable position as an opponent for the president.
06:24But also, at the same time, I would try to work with the president where we could, right?
06:32He's the president.
06:34We need the federal government.
06:35There's a lot of good things he can do for the city.
06:39So I get the political desire to demonize, right?
06:48We're in an election.
06:51I get that.
06:54And I understand that.
06:56And nobody has had more contentious relationships with President Trump than I have.
07:05I don't think any governor in the country had more contentious relationships.
07:10But at the same time, he could be very, very helpful to New York City.
07:18So defend anything that offends New York values.
07:22But if you can find a way to work together and he can help New York City, then, you know, then you work together.
07:31I represent all New Yorkers, and that was my position from day one with President Trump.
07:40And I said publicly as governor, I will defend New York with my life.
07:46And you're a tough guy, I'm a tough guy.
07:53But I'll put my hand out to work together in partnership.
07:58I said that on day one, and I say that today.
