Governor Kathy Hochul shared the stage with Zohran Mamdani for the first time since her endorsement and praised him for his signature issue in the mayoral campaign.
"We've talked a lot about affordability. And I want to thank assemblymember Zohran Mamdani for putting a special exclamation point on how hard it is for families struggling in this city," Hochul said.
But as she did, another ultimatum from the White House.
President Donald Trump doubled down on his threats to withhold federal money from New York if Mamdani wins City Hall.
"I wouldn't be generous to a communist -- a guy that's going to take the money and throw it out the window, because you're talking about hundreds of billions of dollars. And we're not going to let somebody get into office and squander the taxpayer money from this country. We're not going to let it happen," Trump said.
Mamdani has racked up endorsements from just about every major Democratic New York politician.
Gov. Hochul told reporters on Tuesday that she will push back on threats from the president and supports Mamdani, despite certain philosophical differences.
"He's created an energy around the world to just focus on what will make New York City even more exceptional, and that is to make it more affordable," Hochul said.
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo suggested Gov. Hochul is backing Mamdani, fearing left wing politicians.
"They are formidable and they are frightening to Democrats in a primary. So Democrats have to decide, do I want to try to make a deal with the DSA so they don't try to primary me? Do I try to oppose the DSA and each one makes their own political decision," Cuomo said.
Republican Curtis Sliwa insisted Tuesday that Cuomo's campaign lacks momentum.
"I see it as the race coming down to who can get the vote out. Zohran Mamdani versus me. Andrew Cuomo failed the first time and he'll fail again," Sliwa said.
Meanwhile on Tuesday night, Mamdani shook hands in Brooklyn, sharing his agenda with Black voters, who proved the Democratic nominee for mayor still needs to earn every vote.
"This is critical. Critical. You know, any candidate that wants the Black vote, you know, we don't want to go with the lesser of two evils, we want a candidate that's really for us," said voter Terri Wisdom.
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