President Trump denies meddling in NYC mayor's race, prefers winnowed field

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday dismissed reports he was intervening in the New York City mayor’s race, but still said he'd prefer a field with fewer candidates. 

“I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one-on-one, and I think that's a race that could be won,” Trump told reporters when asked whether he was attempting to get a candidate to exit the crowded race that includes Democratic front runner Zohran Mamdani as well as current Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, both running as independents, and Republican activist Curtis Sliwa.

The President’s comments — at an unrelated dinner with tech executives at the White House — came a day after a story first reported by the New York Times that the Trump Administration was looking to woo Adams to a high profile post with the Department of Housing and Urban Development as way to winnow the field of candidates in the mayor's race.

Adams, saddled by a series of scandals in his first term, opted against running in the Democratic primary. His campaign spokesman Todd Shapiro told Newsday on Wednesday Adams had not been offered a job with the Trump Administration.

Trump on Thursday continued to rail against Mamdani, describing him as a “communist.”

The candicacy of Mamdani, a state assemblymember from Astoria, and self-described democratic socialist, has been met with resistance from New York’s deep-pocketed donor class, with many looking to consolidate support behind either Cuomo or Adams.

The president last month denied reports he spoke with Cuomo and had been briefed by top pollsters about Cuomo’s chances of defeating Mamdani in a one-on-one race

Mamdani in a Thursday night X post wrote: “Enough with the backroom scheming. If [Trump] is serious about intervening in the mayoral race, he should come to New York City and debate me directly.”

Earlier in the day on Capitol Hill, top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn continued to play coy on whether he intends to endorse Mamdani, or when he will announce a decision.

“Stay tuned,” Jeffries said, repeating the answer he’s been giving out for weeks.

But even while keeping mum on that, Jeffries did weigh-in on the reports of a potential Trump Administration job offer for Adams.

“I don’t really fully understand the notion of the outside meddling and how it is going to benefit anyone.” Jeffries said during his weekly news conference.

“Because Donald Trump and the Republican brand is toxic in New York City, as is the case in so many other parts of the country.

“It’s speculation, as far as I am concerned, right now, but I don’t see it having any political benefit for any of the people who are allegedly connected to some effort led by Donald Trump and the administration to change the trajectory of the New York City mayoral race,” Jeffries said.