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In a dramatic turn of events on Monday morning, Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York now vying for the position of mayor as an independent, abruptly ended a radio interview when questioned about Donald Trump’s recent endorsement. The interview, conducted by Hot 97.1, quickly escalated when the topic of Trump’s comments came into play.
The interaction began with host Ebro Darden referencing Trump’s appearance on 60 Minutes, where the former president mentioned Cuomo as his preferred choice in the mayoral race. “Your boy was just on 60 Minutes, Cuomo, saying that you’re his guy!” Darden exclaimed, setting the tone for what would become a fiery exchange.
Cuomo attempted to respond, “No, first of all,” only to be interrupted by Darden, who pressed further, “Trump said you’re his candidate. If he had to pick a bad Democrat or a communist, he’s picking you.” This line of questioning left the studio in silence, as co-hosts Laura Stylez and Peter Rosenberg anticipated Cuomo’s reply.
The tension in the air was palpable as Cuomo, visibly agitated by the line of questioning, decided to end the call abruptly, leaving listeners with more questions than answers about his stance and reaction to Trump’s unexpected endorsement.
The question was met with silence as Darden and his co-hosts, Laura Stylez and Peter Rosenberg, awaited Cuomo’s response.
After a few seconds, the hosts asked if Cuomo was still on the line, and Rosenberg speculated that the former governor ‘had to wrap.’
The three sat in shock, and Stylez confessed, ‘I really wanted to hear that answer.’
Cuomo’s team has denied that he hung up during the interview and insisted that the call dropped.
Andrew Cuomo’s interview on a New York radio show was abruptly ended after the hosts asked him a question about Donald Trump
Host Ebro Darden (middle) pushed back on Cuomo, questioning him, ‘Your boy was just on 60 Minutes, Cuomo, saying that you’re his guy!’
After Darden’s remark, the line went silent as the other co-hosts, Laura Stylez (right) and Peter Rosenberg (left), awaited Cuomo’s response
The Daily Mail has reached out to Cuomo’s campaign team for comment on what happened during the call.
Cuomo did, however, address Trump’s 60 Minutes comment later in the day during campaign events in Washington Heights and Chinatown, reported Politico journalist Jeff Coltin.
Cuomo rejected Trump’s claims that he was a ‘bad Democrat,’ and added that his opponent, Zohran Mamdani, was a socialist and not a communist.
‘But we don’t need a socialist mayor either,’ Cuomo added.
A spokesperson for Cuomo’s campaign told HuffPost that the call disconnected, adding, ‘and then right after he did three gaggles with the entire New York City press corps where he discussed the same topics.’
Mamdani didn’t hesitate to take shots at his political foe, posting a graphic on his social media announcing that Trump had endorsed Cuomo.
‘Congratulations, Andrew Cuomo. I know how hard you worked for this,’ Mamdani added.
The mayoral candidate also reposted the clip on his X account, telling his followers: ‘Andrew Cuomo picks up the phone to call Donald Trump, and hangs up when he’s asked about it.’
Donald Trump offered a lukewarm endorsement for Cuomo during his recent interview on 60 Minutes with Norah O’Donnell
Cuomo responded to Mamdani’s post while speaking to reporters on Monday evening: ‘I say, when Mamdani is smiling, he’s lying. Trump did not endorse me. I said repeatedly I would not accept Donald Trump’s endorsement.’
Trump begrudgingly expressed support for Cuomo during an interview with Norah O’Donnell on 60 Minutes over the weekend.
‘It’s gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York, because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there,’ Trump said.
Mamdani has repeatedly denied being a communist and has defined his politics as Democratic socialism, a political ideology that supports a democratically run and decentralized economy.
‘If it’s gonna be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you,’ Trump confessed in his interview.
He then compared Mamdani to former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, whom the president branded as ‘the worst mayor in history.’
On Monday night, Trump doubled down on his support for Cuomo, posting a lengthy statement on Truth Social, threatening that if Mamdani wins the mayoral election, it is ‘highly unlikely’ that he’ll continue to send federal funds.
‘It is my obligation to run the Nation, and it is my strong conviction that New York City will be a Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster should Mamdani win,’ Trump wrote.
The president went on to tout Cuomo’s ‘record of success’ and called Mamdani a ‘complete and total failure.’
Despite Curtis Sliwa being the Republican candidate in the race, Trump also blasted him, writing that he looked better without his signature red beret and discouraged his supporters from voting for him.
‘Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!’ the president concluded.
New Yorkers’ last day to vote in the mayoral election is Tuesday until 9pm.