Zohran Mamdani Congratulates Cuomo on Trump Endorsement

Kiss of Death

President Trump admitted during his 60 Minutes interview. Sunday's broadcast said that if he had to choose between the Democratic candidate in this week's New York mayoral election, Zoran Mamdani, and former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, he would choose the latter.

The shrug at Cuomo is a reflection of the MAGA movement and the far right in general, who are interested in Mamdani becoming the new MAGA bogeyman. After all, he represents a number of concepts that regularly circulate on platforms like Fox News and the GOP's social media platforms: he's a democratic socialist, he's young, he's nonwhite, he'll soon, quite possibly, rule New York.

The wave of misinformation surrounding Mamdani reflects confusion in both parties over exactly how to explain the 34-year-old rebel candidate. He raised funds through small dollar donations and a sophisticated yet simple social media presence, paying close attention to the city's affordability crisis. The rich people in the city aggressively opposed him, but to no noticeable effect. Some see Mamdani's rise as a potential blueprint for further advancement of the Democratic Party, a reality that has sadly upset and confused the party's leaders.

Accordingly, Trump and his allies are trying to portray Mamdani as a “communist.” At the end of September, Trump said that if Mamdani won the election, he would suspend federal funding to New York City (something in the Trump White House started doing this a few hours after turning it off began on October 1 with a freeze on funding for New York City infrastructure projects, among other things).

Perhaps encouraged by the political allies and donors they both share, Trump has been hinting for some time that he views his former foe Cuomo, whom Mamdani beat for the Democratic nomination, as better suited to New York. During a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday, Trump went on record, backing Cuomo as the supposed lesser of two evils.

“It would be difficult for me as president to give a lot of money to New York. Because if New York is run by a communist, all you do is spend the money you send there,” Trump said.

“So I don't know if he won, and I'm not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other, but if there's a choice between a bad Democrat and a communist, I'll pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you,” he said.

Mamdani seized on Trump's remarks as his latest opportunity to troll Cuomo.

“Congratulations Andrew Cuomo. I know how hard you worked for this,” Mamdani wrote on his Facebook page. Instagram.

—Nicole Lafond

Curtis Sliwa Campaigned With COVID Quarantine Rebel

The final stretch of the New York City mayoral race was yet another example of how extremist politics have become standard practice for the Republican Party.

With the vote set to take place on Tuesday, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa spent last Sunday morning campaigning with City Council candidate Heshy Tischler. Tischler, who calls himself part of “Team Trump” is an activist in ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Tischler was widely recognized as an active participant in protests against COVID-related quarantine measures in the community, which eventually turned violent. In 2021 he pleaded guilty on charges of inciting riots due to his participation in these demonstrations, including an attack on a local journalist.

Sliwa's embrace of Tischler is all the more disingenuous because the mayoral hopeful first made a name for himself as a crime fighter. Time and time again, MAGA Republicans have shown us that their supposed concerns about law and order do not extend to their own political allies.

— Hunter Walker

The GOP will soon need a new CR

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Los Angeles) said Republican leadership is discussing how to deal with the House continuing resolution (CR), which expires on November 21.

“We're looking very closely at the calendar. We're very disappointed about it,” Johnson said during a news conference Monday, adding that GOP leaders would be discussing options.

The House, of course, has not been in session since House Republicans passed the GOP bill on Sept. 19. This was 45 days ago. Johnson will have to return them to pass the new CR.

Republican Party Leadership as reportedprivately discussing the new CR, which will come into force in early 2026. Meanwhile, some senators as reported pushing for an agreement that would include a package of appropriations bills along with a new CR that would reopen the government, and a vote to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies.

Republican leadership insists they will not vote on any appropriations bills or measures to extend subsidies without an agreement to reopen the government.

— Emine Yucel