The enemy of my enemy\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andrew Cuomo bolted from\u00a0the final mayoral debate<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 where he cleaned up against his socialist foe Zohran Mamdani \u2014 to sit courtside at Madison Square Garden with his new frenemy Mayor Eric Adams.<\/p>\n New York Mayor Eric Adams greets Independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at Madison Square Garden. Getty Images<\/p>\n Cuomo rushed from Long Island City to Madison Square Garden after Wednesday night\u2019s debate wrapped, to sit courtside with Adams. Getty Images<\/p>\n The Knicks beat the Cavaliers 119-111 with Cuomo and Adams in attendance. Getty Images<\/p>\n Just around 30 minutes after the\u00a0debate wrapped at around\u00a08:30 p.m. in Long Island City, Cuomo was seen embracing Adams as he arrived at the Midtown arena for the second half of the\u00a0New York Knicks\u2019 season opener.<\/p>\n The former governor flashed a thumbs-up while sitting alongside the Hizzoner, who ditched his long-shot re-election bid last month\u00a0\u2014 and even\u00a0offered a near endorsement for Cuomo\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n Hizzoner, who recently abandoned\u00a0his own long-shot bid for mayor, even\u00a0 for the\u00a0ex-governor running as an independent<\/p>\n \u201cGreat win for the Knicks. We need to win for the city. Can\u2019t go backwards,\u201d Adams\u00a0posted\u00a0<\/a>on his campaign social media account, along with his own picture of him grinning and giving a thumbs up while sitting next to Cuomo.<\/p>\n Cuomo also shared images on X of himself and Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony, shaking hands and smiling. X \/ @andrewcuomo<\/p>\n Cuomo participates\u00a0in a second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College. AP<\/p>\n Adams has yet to weigh in on the race after dropping out last month \u2014 but has been leaning toward backing\u00a0Cuomo despite his sharp words for the ex-governor during the campaign, according to sources.<\/p>\n For years, both have run in similar\u00a0moderate\u00a0political circles \u2014\u00a0which have been furiously working\u00a0to prevent Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and\u00a0front-runner, from taking over City Hall.<\/p>\n Here are some highlights from the final 2025 NYC Mayoral Debate<\/strong><\/p>\n While Cuomo bolted for MSG following the debate, Mandai (pictured) and Sliwa stayed behind and joined the media \u201cspin room\u201d to discuss their performance.\u00a0 Cuomo arrived at the game in record time, sneaking in just in\u00a0time for the second half with the Knicks leading the Cleveland Cavaliers 55-50.\u00a0The\u00a0Knicks held on for a 119-111 win\u00a0<\/a>to kick off the 2025-26 NBA season.<\/p>\n The former governor cheered \u201cgo Knicks, go Knicks, go Knicks\u201d\u00a0during his opening remarks at the second and final debate before the Nov. 4 election, where Cuomo\u00a0will face-off against Mamdani and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.<\/p>\n Cuomo went on to tell the debate audience\u00a0at LaGuardia Community College\u00a0that he hoped \u201cwe get an update on the score.<\/p>\n Mamdani,<\/a>\u00a0who faced a\u00a0barrage of attacks from Cuomo<\/a>\u00a0during the 90 minute showdown hosted\u00a0by Spectrum NY1, also\u00a0used his opening remarks to address the Knicks.<\/p>\n \u201cI know you\u2019d rather be watching the Knicks,\u201d Mamdani quipped to the crowd.<\/p>\n Cuomo, Mamdani and Sliwa on stage for the second and final mayoral debate. POOL\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n But as the thrice-elected former governor bolted for MSG following the debate, his opponents stayed behind and joined the media \u201cspin room\u201d to discuss their performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Sliwa declared himself the debate winner \u2013 and vowed to remain in the race despite deafening calls for him to drop his long-shot bid \u2013 Mamdani was joined by Cuomo\u2019s sexual harassment accuser Charlotte Bennet.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Democratic Socialists of America candidate noted Bennett\u2019s attendance from the debate stage as he ripped the 67-year-old embattled former pol for the allegations that prompted him to resign in disgrace in 2021.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have spent more than $20 million in taxpayer funds to defend yourself, all while describing these allegations as entirely political,\u201d Mamdani said, adding, \u201cYou have even gone so far as to\u00a0legally go after these women<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cOne of those women, Charlotte Bennett, is here in the audience this evening,\u201d he said, pointing to the 29-year-old former Cuomo aide. \u201cYou sought to access her private gynecological records. She cannot speak up for herself because you lodged a defamation case against her.\u201d<\/p>\n Cuomo has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
Paul Martinka<\/p>\n