Donald Trump and Elon Musk publicly endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race the day before the election.

1. What happened on the eve of Election Day

On Nov. 3, 2025, President Donald Trump posted an endorsement urging New Yorkers to vote for Andrew Cuomo — who was running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary — and explicitly argued that a vote for the Republican Curtis Sliwa would effectively help Democrat Zohran Mamdani; news outlets published the endorsement the night before the Nov. 4 general election ^[1][2]. Hours earlier or later, billionaire Elon Musk made public posts on X (formerly Twitter) encouraging votes for Cuomo and mocking Mamdani’s name, which many outlets treated as a coordinated or at least contemporaneous set of high‑profile appeals ^[3][6].

2. How outlets described the timing and tone

National press emphasized the timing — both interventions came “on the eve” of the vote — and highlighted rhetorical flourishes: Trump warned he might withhold federal funds if Mamdani won and called a vote for Sliwa a vote for Mamdani; Musk’s posts included derisive misspellings of Mamdani’s name while telling followers to “VOTE CUOMO” ^[3][7][8]. Coverage noted the unusual scene of politically opposed figures backing the same candidate and framed the messages as last‑minute attempts to shape trajectory in a tight three‑way race ^[3][6].

3. Campaign responses and political framing

Zohran Mamdani and his campaign quickly used the endorsements as fodder: Mamdani accused Trump and Musk of fearing his agenda and suggested their interventions signaled his momentum, while his campaign also highlighted Cuomo’s alignment with wealthy interests in rebuttal ^[4][9]. Cuomo himself publicly downplayed Trump’s backing as opposition to Mamdani rather than a full embrace, according to reporting ^[4][10].

4. Reported impact and interpretations

Analysts and some campaign officials described the endorsements as a political gamble: reporting cited allies calling Trump’s move a “nail in the coffin” or “poison pill” for Cuomo because both Trump and Musk are unpopular with many New York Democrats, while other pieces treated the messages as potentially narrowing Mamdani’s lead in late polling ^[5][11]. Polling cited in coverage showed Mamdani ahead but with a narrowed margin in the days immediately before the vote, suggesting late endorsements could have influenced undecided voters or turnout dynamics ^[11].

5. Motivations and alternative readings

Coverage offers competing explanations: some sources present Trump’s and Musk’s interventions as strategic attempts to split Democrats and elevate a centrist independent who might be more amenable to their interests ^[3][10]. Mamdani’s campaign framed the moves as evidence that establishment and wealthy actors feared his policy agenda ^[4][9]. Available sources do not mention internal conversations at the Trump White House or Musk’s private strategy sessions beyond what was posted publicly; those details are not found in current reporting (not found in current reporting).

6. What this means for media literacy and scrutiny

The episode illustrates how high‑profile social posts from national figures can become focal points in local races and how outlets interpret motive behind late endorsements differently; readers should note that coverage mixes direct quotations from posts with campaign spin and post‑hoc analysis, so causal claims about electoral impact were presented as contested by reporters ^[3][4][11]. If you want to evaluate influence further, look for post‑election vote analyses and exit polls that would be required to substantiate any claim that the endorsements decisively changed the outcome — those are not covered in the sources provided here (not found in current reporting).

7. Bottom line for readers

Multiple reputable outlets confirm that Trump and Musk publicly urged votes for Andrew Cuomo on the eve of the 2025 NYC mayoral election and that those interventions produced immediate political blowback and strategic interpretations from campaigns and commentators ^[1][3][4]. However, competing narratives exist about motive and effect — some see the endorsements as helpful to Cuomo, others as politically toxic — and the current reporting in these sources does not provide definitive evidence that the last‑minute endorsements determined the final result ^[5][11].