Mamdani holds press conference outside Federal Plaza in NYC

NEW YORK, US - AUGUST 7: On Thursday, August 7, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani held a press conference outside the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in Manhattan.He criticized independent candidate Andrew Cuomo for allegedly collaborating with President Donald Trump ahead of the upcoming mayoral election in New York City.Mamdani accused Cuomo of undermining democratic principles and aligning with far-right interests.According to The New York Times reported on Wednesday, Trump has been asking Republican lawmakers and business leaders for advice on which candidate stands the best chance of defeating Mamdani.Among the contenders are Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, independent incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, and Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani.Sources told the Times that Trump was recently briefed by pollster Mark Penn and former City Council president Andrew Stein, both of whom are backing Cuomo, who resigned as New York governor in 2021 over sexual harassment allegations. Cuomo denies the claims.The report also cites three unnamed sources claiming Trump and Cuomo held a previously undisclosed phone conversation in recent weeks.Cuomo's spokesperson Rich Azzopardi denied any such call, saying they hadn't spoken "in a while," and insisted: "As far as I know, they have not discussed the race."As Trump is unpopular among Democrats, any confirmation that he is cooperating with Cuomo, a longtime Democrat now running as an independent, could hurt his chances at the polls.(Footage by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)