Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that he would "welcome" an endorsement of his New York City mayoral campaign from incumbent Eric Adams, who dropped out of the race earlier this week.
"I would welcome his support. You know, this is a general election, it's Democrats, Republicans, independents," Cuomo, who is running as a third-party candidate, told NBC News’ "Meet the Press NOW."
"I would welcome the mayor's support. I'd welcome big-tent support," Cuomo added.
But the former Democratic governor said he would not accept an endorsement from President Donald Trump, who has been outspoken about his opposition to Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani's candidacy.
"The tent isn't that big," Cuomo told "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker when asked about a potential endorsement from Trump.
"That's the limitation," Cuomo added. "I have not had a conversation, nor would I accept an endorsement from President Trump."
Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 after facing multiple allegations of sexual harassment, which he has denied, launched an independent run for mayor in July after losing in the Democratic primary to Mamdani, a state assemblyman and a democratic socialist.
Adams, who was elected in 2021 as a Democrat, in June launched an independent campaign for re-election before suspending it on Sunday.
With just over a month until Election Day, Cuomo expressed confidence Thursday in his chances of beating Mamdani, who has led comfortably in most polls.
Cuomo acknowledged that "it’s a short runway" but added "we do have enough time."
He framed the election as a “very stark choice between me and Mr. Mamdani.”
“You know, it’s apples and oranges. We couldn’t be more different. I’m a mainstream Democrat. He’s a fringe Democrat,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo also said that Trump's comments about Mamdani, which include calling him a "communist" and threatening to withhold federal funding from New York City if he wins, are looming over voters.
"He has said, basically, if Mamdani wins the election, that he would — President Trump would — basically have to take control of New York, because Mamdani is not qualified," Cuomo said. "He calls him a communist and that he's anti-police, etcetera. So he said he would take over New York. That kind of federal usurping of state local authority, I think, is an existential threat."
The former governor also unleashed his own attacks on Mamdani, accusing him of "dumbing down" politics with some of his policy proposals, including one proposal to freeze rent prices for tenants in rent-stabilized housing.
"It's the dumbing down of politics, Kristen, you know. You can say whatever you want and ... fact doesn't matter," Cuomo said.
"Freeze the rent. Boy, sounds great: Great slogan, great TikTok, great tweet," he added. "What he's talking about is freezing the rent on about 25% of the housing units in New York City, leaving 75% to absorb the increase that the 25% would have paid."
Cuomo also rebuffed comments Mamdani made earlier this year that he doesn't believe billionaires should exist.
"Is there gross income inequality? Yes. And are billionaires an example of the grossest of inequality, especially when you have such poverty in this country today? Yes," Cuomo said, adding later: "But we don't say 'This is the limit of money that you can make.' We don't set a limit, and that is capitalism. And you want to be able to say to people, 'God bless you. You want to be a millionaire. Be a billionaire. Fly as high as your wings can carry you.'"
He also diverged from Mamdani on foreign policy, declining to label the war in Gaza a "genocide," which Mamdani has done.
"I believe it is obviously a horrific situation. We want peace. It’s long overdue. To watch on a daily basis the carnage that is going on in Gaza is difficult," Cuomo said.
Asked whether he would call the conflict a genocide, he said, "It’s not my place to provide terminology in this political context. But return the hostages. Eliminate Hamas, which is a terrorist organization, and let’s have peace finally."
Cuomo also defended himself from criticism of his time in the governor's mansion.
When asked what he says to voters who question why he didn't do more to make New York City more affordable when he was governor, Cuomo told Welker, "Well, I was the governor, I wasn't the mayor, right?"
"As governor, I passed more bills with more funding for affordable housing than any other governor in the history of the state of New York," he added.
Asked whether he has any regrets from his time as governor, including related to the sexual harassment allegations he faced, Cuomo said, "No," and that they were "political allegations" with "nothing to them."
"In general, have I learned to be more careful, frankly? Just don't put yourself in a situation where anyone can say anything, where you always have a witness? Certainly," he added.
