New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani took on Donald Trump on Thursday as the president reportedly looks to “clear the field” and better former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s chances to win November’s election.
Mamdani, in response to Cuomo’s call for a series of borough-focused debates between the two, instead turned his attention to the president.
“Let’s cut out the middleman. Why should I debate Donald Trump’s puppet when I could debate Donald Trump himself?” the Democratic Socialist told CBS New York.
“If Donald Trump is serious about this, he should come to New York City. We can have as many debates as you want about why he is cutting SNAP benefits for hungry New Yorkers just to fund tax cuts for his billionaire donors.”
The challenge from Mamdani — who continues to lead in the polls over Cuomo, GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa and scandal-plagued New York mayor Eric Adams (D) — comes a day after The New York Times reported that Trump advisers discussed getting a job for Adams in the administration if he dropped out.
Advisers have also reportedly discussed looping Sliwa into the administration, as well.
While Adams has denied that he’s not abandoning his reelection push, he privately has shared that he’s “seriously considering” potential job offers from the administration as his chances of winning “have faded,” the Times reported.
Trump — at a White House dinner where billionaire tech executives kissed his ring on Thursday — attacked Mamdani, telling reporters that he’d “prefer not to have a communist mayor” in the Big Apple.
“I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one-on-one,” he said.
Back in August, Mamdani slammed Trump for reportedly wanting to get involved in the mayoral election.
“This should be a race about … who will make this city affordable, who will ensure that each and every New Yorker is safe, who will bring our city forward, not an audition for the best jester for Donald Trump and his billionaire supporters,” he told reporters at the time.
Mamdani — in an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Wednesday — called reports of Trump advisers discussing giving Adams a job “outrageous.”
“This is an affront to our city’s democracy. This is an affront to the values that make so many of us proud to be Americans — that we could choose our own leaders, not that our leaders pick themselves or their friends,” he said.