At a recent event, ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo expressed alarm at the possible consequences of Zohran Mamdani winning New York City’s mayoral election. Located near an area where an unfortunate event recently occurred with a woman innocently losing her life to stray gunfire, Cuomo provided criticism on the potential safety threats Mamdani’s leadership might bring to the city. Claims were made that should Mamdani – associated with a socialist view and perceived lenient position on crime – earn enough votes to become mayor, this could trigger an intervention by President Trump. This enactment might prompt the dispatching of federal troops to New York City, paralleling previous implementations in locales such as Washington, DC.
The former governor, Cuomo, part of the November election race as an independent after being edged out by Mamdani in the Democratic primary, presented a hypothetical scenario: In this scenario, a Mamdani win may give Trump an excuse to exercise federal power within the city even before Mamdani formally takes charge. He posited that Trump could potentially intervene immediately following the election outcome; there was speculation about an immediate response from Trump to a Mamdani victory.
By contrast, Cuomo argued that his own potential mayoral stint would significantly lower the chances of federal intrusion, citing his belief that there would be ‘absolutely no rationale whatsoever’ for such an intervention. But the former governor’s focus on Mamdani’s public safety perspectives was accompanied by his refusal to accept any responsibility for his role in the 2019 bail reforms. These reforms, critics suggest, have spurred an increase in repeat-offense crimes across the city.
Cuomo, instead, placed the burden of these perceived negative outcomes on the state’s lawmakers, lamenting their refusal to afford judges the power to overrule the mandate, and as a result, keep individuals seen as dangerous imprisoned. ‘I wanted to incorporate judicial discretion on dangerousness in that initial law. The legislature wasn’t receptive,’ he expressed, soon after painting himself as the lone bulwark against a power-hungry Trump.
This claim of powerlessness from Cuomo – a Democrat who had the support of the masses to elect him to governorship thrice – came as President Trump issued a seemingly vague executive order targeted at ending the state’s cashless bail practice. This was a central promise of the reform that Cuomo himself had sanctioned as law.
As per Trump’s order, federal funding could be denied to states and local regions that ‘substantially eliminate’ the provision of cash bail. This allowance, critics argue, acts as a free pass for the accused to engage in subsequent crimes, including violent ones. In response to the executive order, current Governor Kathy Hochul countered the assertion claiming that New York state doesn’t practice cashless bail, since serious offenses such as murder, rape, and robbery continue to be eligible for bail within the legal framework.
Her response also distinguished between types of crimes, pointing out the reforms chiefly did away with the practice of setting bail only for misdemeanors and non-violent crimes. Meanwhile, Cuomo remained largely silent on the President’s measures, breaking his silence only later stating, ‘We don’t implement cashless bail’, in contrast to the earlier advocacy for cashless bail reform during his tenure.
Cuomo’s recent stance sharply contrasts his 2019 proposal presented in the State of the State address. He had then outlined legislation seeking to ‘end cash bail once and for all’ while also advocating judges’ discretion in deciding the potential ‘current threat’ posed by a defendant.
His consistent emphasis on ‘judicial discretion’ over the years was reiterated as he highlighted adjustments made to the reforms over time that allowed for this. The current criticism of Mamdani, along with the unfolding narrative of being an effective shield against the President’s overreach, played out as his opponent took to the streets in protest against the Trump administration.
Flanking these political maneuvers a spokesperson from Mamdani’s campaign made a note of Cuomo’s conspicuous absence from the protest march, and Mayor Eric Adams too faced criticism for his absence. Meanwhile, a statement took Cuomo to task for politicizing the recent unfortunate loss of a 69-year-old woman in East Harlem for his personal political gains.
The statement made by a campaign representative flagged the ex-governor’s campaign activity at the scene of the unfortunate shooting event, calling it out for using the tragedy for personal political advantage. Moreover, the statement focused on the current scenario in Washington, underscoring the popular belief that unlike Zohran, who would protect the interest of New Yorkers, Cuomo, as mayor, would be likely to capitulate to federal pressures under Trump.
The post Cuomo Sounds Alarm Over Mamdani’s Potential NYC Mayoral Election appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
