NEW YORK (WABC) — The New York Times is reporting the possibility of giving incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa positions in the administration.
The reported goal is to clear the field for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and damage the chances of Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.
In the scenario reported by the Times, supporters for Adams and Sliwa would then theoretically back Cuomo, who currently trails Mamdani in most polls by 20 points.
On Wednesday, Adams brushed off the report while Mamdani called it “an affront to our democracy.”
Mamdani held what he billed as an emergency press conference to condemn what he says is a deliberate attempt to influence the mayoral election in New York by the president.
Adams insists he has a job and it’s the only job he wants. But the New York Times is reporting that associates of the mayor have been approached by intermediaries on behalf of President Trump, who is said to be considering an administration position for Adams to encourage him to drop his independent run for re-election.
It’s a report the mayor downplayed, but did not specifically deny on Wednesday afternoon.
“If they did or didn’t, my rule was the same from the first day I was elected,” Adams said. “I don’t talk about private conversations. And so, you know that, many of you have private conversations with me that you never heard again. I am not going into private conversations. And no matter what happens right now, I’m the mayor of the City of New York.”
A similar offer is reportedly under consideration for Sliwa, who has denied he would consider any offer to end his campaign.
“My focus is right here in New York City, as it has always been. I’m the only candidate on a major party line who can defeat Mamdani, and I’m committed to carrying this fight through to Election Day,” Sliwa said. “The people of New York City deserve a Mayor who will finally make the city work for the hard working people who power it. This is a distraction from the issues forcing New Yorkers to flee everyday. Absolute misinformation.”
A deal for either or both would presumably clear the way for a closer race between Cuomo and Mamdani.
Mamdani, who leads Cuomo by at least 20 points in a four-way race, accused the president of trying to manipulate the result.
“I’m angry because so often we think of this solely in terms of the dynamics of politics, but the reason that so many New Yorkers are fed up with politics as they know it is because of news like this,” Mamdani said. “Backroom deals, corrupt agreements, all of which serve to increase the sense of disaffection and despair as it pertains to how people feel about politics across this country.”
Mamdani says it’s another thing to outright endorse a candidate, but Trump, he insists, is not doing that.
Cuomo has denied coordinating anything with the White House and the Cuomo campaign did not have any immediate comment on Wednesday afternoon.
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