Trump is considering intervening in the New York mayoral race to stop socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani

President Donald Trump is actively considering whether to get involved in the New York City mayor's race to prevent socialist Zohran Mamdani from coming to power, at least eight sources with direct knowledge of the president's private conversations revealed to The New York Times.

Although Trump moved his residence to Florida, he has recently held meetings and calls with advisers, lawmakers and businessmen to discuss which of Mamdani's three main opponents - incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, former Governor Andrew Cuomo or Republican Curtis Sliwa - would have the best chance of defeating the far-left candidate.

A common front against Mamdani

The possible victory of Mamdani, known for promoting a rent freeze and steep tax increases on the wealthy, has generated alarm among businessmen and political figures. Several donors and advisers have urged Trump to intervene to prevent the anti-Mamdani vote from splitting among several candidates.

Some even hope that his leadership will serve to push one of the three rivals to drop out of the race, thus facilitating a direct and more favorable contest against the socialist candidate.

Key conversations and internal polls

Trump has held consultations with the likes of Mark Penn - a pollster with experience in Democratic campaigns - and Andrew Stein, a former New York City council leader and longtime ally of the president. Both presented polls suggesting that Andrew Cuomo, despite losing the primary, remains competitive as an independent candidate, especially if Adams withdraws.

In addition, according to three sources, Trump had a direct call with Cuomo in recent weeks. It is unclear who initiated the communication or what precisely was discussed, but it occurred at a time when Cuomo was debating with his team whether to stay in the race and publicly calling on other candidates to step aside.

Genuine concern for New York.

Trump "loves New York and he’s worried about New York," said businessman John Catsimatidis, who also cautioned that the president should not rush. Others close to him agree that his deep ties to the city - where he was born and built his career - continue to influence his decisions.

In public, Trump has already made his opinion of Mamdani clear. In early July he accused him of being a "communist lunatic" and warned that he will not allow his policies to destroy New York.