In the final stretch before New York City’s pivotal mayoral election, a political tempest has erupted, swirling with rumors, denials, and backroom maneuvering. At the center of the storm: President Donald Trump’s advisers, who, according to multiple reports, have floated the idea of offering current Mayor Eric Adams a high-ranking federal job if he agrees to withdraw from the race—a move widely seen as an attempt to clear the path for former Governor Andrew Cuomo to challenge Democratic socialist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.
The intrigue began to surface publicly on September 4, 2025, when The New York Times and other outlets reported that Trump’s inner circle had discussed giving Adams, whose campaign has been plagued by poor polling and fundraising woes, a position in the Trump administration. The specific job floated, according to Politico, was a high-ranking post in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The rationale? To persuade Adams to exit the mayoral contest, thereby consolidating moderate and conservative voters behind Cuomo and increasing his odds against Mamdani.
But Adams’s campaign quickly pushed back. “Mayor Adams has made it clear he will not respond to every rumor that comes up,” campaign spokesperson Todd Shapiro said in a statement, as cited by NewsOne. “He is not dropping out of the race. The Mayor is fully committed to winning this election, with millions of New Yorkers preparing to cast their votes. His record is clear: crime is down, jobs are up, and he has consistently stood up for working families. Mayor Adams is focused on building on that progress and earning four more years to continue delivering for the people of New York.” Shapiro also explicitly denied that Adams had been offered a HUD position, according to New York Magazine.
The speculation was further fueled by Adams’s recent, previously unannounced trip to Florida, which his team initially described as a “personal matter.” Upon returning, Adams admitted to meeting with “political figures,” including the mayor of Miami, though he stopped short of naming others in attendance. When pressed by PIX11 about whether he intended to remain in the race through November, Adams offered an ambiguous response: “Listen, I’m a retired captain in the Police Department, former state senator, former borough president. I’ve never had a problem finding jobs as I transition. And that’s not what I’m looking for right now. I’m looking to continue to serve the people of the city of New York.”
The maneuvering didn’t end with Adams. Reports from The New York Times and i24NEWS revealed that similar discussions had taken place regarding Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels. The idea: offer Sliwa a role in the Trump administration as well, removing him from the ballot and further consolidating the anti-Mamdani vote behind Cuomo. Sliwa, for his part, was unequivocal. “I’m the only candidate on a major party line who can defeat Mamdani, and I’m committed to carrying this fight through to Election Day,” he stated. Sliwa also confirmed that he had not been contacted by the White House and was focused solely on the mayoral race.
The stakes are high, as recent polling shows Mamdani leading the pack with 30-40% of voter support. Cuomo, running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, trails in the mid-20s. Sliwa holds steady in the teens, while Adams, battered by scandal and campaign missteps, languishes in single digits. The threat of a divided moderate and conservative vote looms large, with attorney Jim Walden dropping his independent bid and urging others to consolidate behind the strongest candidate to defeat Mamdani. Yet neither Adams, Cuomo, nor Sliwa have shown any public willingness to exit the race.
For President Trump, who remains unpopular in New York City but wields significant influence among national Republicans, Mamdani represents a unique challenge. While some in the GOP might relish the opportunity to paint Democrats as “too radical” should Mamdani win, Trump appears more interested in orchestrating a contest between Cuomo and Mamdani—two figures with whom he shares a complicated history. According to Devdiscourse, Trump has denied personally urging any candidate to drop out, but he has made it clear he prefers a head-to-head race. “Today’s news confirms it: Cuomo is Trump’s choice for Mayor,” Mamdani’s campaign posted on social media. “The White House is considering jobs for Adams and Sliwa to clear the field. New Yorkers are sick of corrupt politics and backroom deals. No matter who’s running, we will deliver a better future on November 4.”
Cuomo himself has repeatedly denied any discussions with Trump or his advisers about consolidating the field. “I read the rumors, but no, it is up to Mayor Adams whether or not he wants to run or get out of the race,” Cuomo said, as reported by NBC New York. “If he doesn’t want to run then he’ll decide what to do next in his career.” Cuomo has also said he would turn down any potential endorsement from Trump and has tried to distance himself from the former president’s involvement.
Meanwhile, Mamdani, the 33-year-old state assemblyman and self-described democratic socialist, has not shied away from denouncing what he calls corrupt attempts to subvert democracy. “This is, however, about an affront to our democracy, an affront to what makes so many of us proud to be Americans, that we choose our own leaders,” Mamdani said, as quoted by NewsOne. He has expressed confidence in his campaign’s ability to win, regardless of who remains in the race.
Adding another layer to the drama, earlier in 2025, the Justice Department dropped corruption charges against Adams after he signaled support for Trump’s immigration agenda—a move that critics described as a quid pro quo. This history has only deepened suspicions about Adams’s recent actions and the ongoing rumors of political horse-trading.
Despite the swirl of speculation, election laws in New York make it exceedingly difficult for candidates like Adams or Sliwa to withdraw from the ballot at this late stage. Even if they did, their supporters would not necessarily shift allegiance to Cuomo, complicating any attempt to engineer a one-on-one showdown against Mamdani.
As the city barrels toward Election Day, the mayoral contest has become about more than just who will occupy Gracie Mansion. It’s a referendum on the resilience of New York’s democratic process in the face of relentless efforts—both subtle and overt—to tip the scales. The outcome will not only determine the city’s next leader but serve as a test of whether New Yorkers will allow political power brokers to dictate their choices from behind closed doors.
In a race defined as much by intrigue as by ideology, one thing is clear: New Yorkers will have the final say, and the world will be watching to see how they respond to this latest attempt to shape the city’s future from the shadows.
