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President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he believes New York City could soon elect a “communist” mayor and signaled he’d prefer a Democrat to take the reins at City Hall over a far-left candidate.
Asked during a White House press gaggle whether he’d urge Republican Curtis Sliwa to drop out of the race, Trump didn’t endorse anyone, but made clear his concern about current polling with just two weeks to go until Election Day.
“Well, I looked at the polls and looks like we’re going to have a communist as the mayor of New York,” Trump said. “It’ll be very interesting. But here’s the good news. He’s got to go through the White House, everything goes through the White House. At least this White House, it does.”
Trump appeared to suggest that if Sliwa exited the race, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo might close the gap with Democratic socialist nominee Zohran Mamdani, but wasn’t confident it would change the outcome.
BILL ACKMAN JUMPS INTO NYC MAYORAL FIGHT, SAYS SLIWA MUST DROP OR ‘WE ARE TOAST’
Independent NYC mayoral candidate, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, speaks during a debate with Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, center, and Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, Oct. 16, in New York City. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, Pool)
“If he [Sliwa] dropped out, he’s not going to win. And not looking too good for Cuomo either,” Trump said. “Maybe if he dropped out, Cuomo would have a little bit of a chance. But not much. Because it looks like the lead is—it’s not a great lead, but it’s big enough that he should be able to win.”
Pressed on whether he’d be willing to meet with Mamdani if elected, Trump said he would.
“Yeah, I’ll speak to him,” the president said. “I think I have an obligation to speak to him.”
FOX NEWS POLL: MAMDANI MAINTAINS SIGNIFICANT LEAD IN NYC MAYORAL RACE
New York City mayoral candidates Andrew Cuomo, left, Curtis Sliwa and Zohran Mamdani participate in a debate, Oct. 16, in New York City. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, Pool)
Still, Trump lamented what he sees as the city’s decline under progressive leadership.
“I love New York. I’ve always loved New York. I just can’t believe a thing like this is happening,” he said. “I left New York, and we had a mayor, [Bill] de Blasio, who was a disaster… New York was a hot city. And now it’s — it’s sad to see what’s happening, frankly.”
“With the communist in charge… look, you just go back a thousand years. I mean, it’s been done many times, a thousand years. It’s never worked once. So it’s not going to work now.”
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa speaks during the NYC mayoral debate, Oct. 16. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, Pool)
Mamdani, a state assemblyman and longtime Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) member, has embraced calls to legalize prostitution and tax the wealthy.
His campaign has drawn endorsements from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and other national progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
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The city’s mayoral election is Nov. 4.
The Cuomo, Mamdani and Sliwa campaigns did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
