Since launching his mayoral marketing campaign this month, Andrew Cuomo has largely kept away from the sharp criticism of President Trump that has marked the rhetoric of a lot of his opponents, and a few Trump supporters are opening up their wallets for the previous governor.
The “Women for Cuomo” fundraiser on March 7 was co-hosted by Tanya Zuckerbrot, a nutritionist with a big social media following who has been a vocal Trump surrogate and attended the president’s inaugural ball in January.
Donation data present Zuckerbrot gave $2,100, the authorized max, to Cuomo’s mayoral marketing campaign along side the occasion in Manhattan.
“I appreciate his strong support of the Jewish community and commitment to making NYC great again. Who’s ready for a comeback?” Zuckerbrot captioned a photograph she posted on Instagram on March 10 of herself and Cuomo. She capped off the put up with the hashtag #makenycgreatagain, a spin on Trump’s signature slogan.
In his first two weeks of fundraising, Cuomo additionally raked in maxed-out $2,100 donations from Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees who’s recognized to have been on Trump’s “close contacts” listing, Jonathan Kushner, cousin of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, and a number of other others with data of financially backing the Republican president’s campaigns, data present.
That features max donations to Cuomo from Geoffrey Berman, Trump’s ex-Manhattan U.S. legal professional who pumped $5,400 into the president’s 2016 marketing campaign, and 4 different New Yorkers, together with an legal professional and an investor, who’ve between them given greater than $40,000 to Trump’s campaigns.
One other maxed-out Cuomo mayoral marketing campaign donor is Anthony Scaramucci, a onetime Trump adviser who has since develop into an outspoken critic of the president. Earlier than turning on Trump, Scaramucci funneled greater than $150,000 into Trump’s marketing campaign and tremendous PACs, in accordance with disclosures.
In whole, Cuomo, who’s polling as the favourite to win June’s Democratic mayoral major, raised greater than $1.5 million throughout the first two weeks of his marketing campaign and is, in accordance with most polls, the frontrunner for the Democratic nod.
“Past is prologue, only one candidate in this race has a record of standing up for New York when Trump and Washington sought to hurt it and it’s Andrew Cuomo,” Azzopardi mentioned, referencing Cuomo’s file as an anti-Trump champion throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ex-gov has since his March 1 marketing campaign launch by and huge stayed away from criticizing the controversial president as pointedly as most elected New York Democrats.
In a March 3 interview on Stephen A. Smith’s YouTube present, Cuomo advised Trump — who has threatened to strip New York of billions of {dollars} in federal funding for numerous essential packages — desires to assist the town.
“Donald Trump is from New York City and he knows our problems here,” Cuomo mentioned within the look. “He knows we need federal help … He knows our situation, he knows the situation in New York City. It is his hometown. I think that he wants New York City to appreciate him. I think he thinks there’s an opportunity for him to do good things.”
Talking at a Harlem church a couple of days later, Cuomo once more didn’t instantly criticize Trump, however did say his presidency might lead to “challenges” for the town.
The incumbent, Mayor Adams, has vowed to not publicly criticize the president. Adams, who’s trailing Cuomo by double digits in most polls of the mayoral race, has come beneath hearth because the Trump Justice Division moved to drop his federal corruption indictment in a way that critics and allies say has left the mayor behold to Trump’s political agenda. Adams maintains there is no such thing as a quid professional quo.
A few of Cuomo’s opponents within the mayoral race have lambasted his lack of forceful Trump pushback.
One mayoral candidate, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, held a press convention outdoors Metropolis Corridor on Thursday the place he questioned whether or not Cuomo’s maintaining his powder dry on blasting Trump as a result of Home Republicans not too long ago urged the president’s Division of Justice to prosecute the ex-governor over issues associated to his dealing with of COVID.
“Either Cuomo should vocally condemn the president, or explain his refusal to do so — New Yorkers deserve to know where he stands,” Myrie mentioned.
