New York Mayoral Candidate Andrew Cuomo Calls Opponent Mamdani Divisive: ‘You Can Be a New Yorker and Not Understand New Yorkers’

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, an independent candidate for mayor of New York City, called his opponent and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani “very divisive” and said he doesn’t understand the “New York way,” during a wide-ranging interview with “ABC News Live Prime” host Linsey Davis. few days before election day.

During the interview, Davis asked Cuomo about comments he made during a recent interview with Fox News, in which he mentioned that Mamdani had dual citizenship of the United States and Uganda, and said that Mamdani does not understand “New York culture, New York values.”

Cuomo said in response: “You can be a New Yorker and not understand New Yorkers, right? He’s been very divisive throughout this campaign. He’s said things that are very inflammatory. And that’s not the way to do it in New York. Because you have the diversity that we have.” [in New York]”You have to be very careful as a leader not to inflame division.”

ABC News reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment on Cuomo’s claim.

Mamdani, who has emphasized receiving support from a wide swath of New Yorkers of diverse backgrounds, he told Davis on Monday which is “seeking to serve all who call the city home.”

Watch Linsey Davis’ interview with New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, broadcast on ABC News Live Prime on 8:00-8:30 pm ET on All Access with Linsey Davis and on Disney+ and Hulu.

Cuomo brought up some of Mamdani’s previous statements, including calling the New York City Police Department “racist” and “evil.” Mamdani has since apologized for those comments and said they do not represent his current views.

Later during the interview with ABC, speaking about his experience as governor and how he would deliver for New Yorkers, Cuomo said he is running for mayor because he believes “the city is in trouble. I think it’s in real trouble; I think cities all over America are in trouble.”

Referring to his time as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton, the former governor said he is seeing what others call “the urban death spiral. So I’m concerned about New York City, and I know how to make government work and really make change.”

Cuomo has recently faced accusations of Islamophobia from Mamdani after he seemed to agree with a radio host that Mamdani would celebrate “another 9/11.” Cuomo later said he thought the host was joking and that his comment was offensive, but that Mamdani was being divisive and falsely claiming Islamophobia.

Davis asked him what he would say to Muslim New Yorkers offended by the comment and who called his reaction to the radio host Islamophobic.

“The Muslim community didn’t say that. I just received endorsements from senior leaders in the Muslim community,” Cuomo responded.

“What I was saying is that you don’t have experience, right… Being mayor is a complicated job. There are 300,000 employees, it’s [a] $115 billion budget, and it’s a situation where, on any given day, you can deal with any unknown crisis,” Cuomo said.

Citing the possibilities of crises such as terrorist attacks, pandemics and natural disasters, Cuomo added: “That person has to be prepared. There is no on-the-job training. So yes, [Mamdani is] I think he’s dangerously inexperienced for mayor of New York.

during the first general election debate for mayorMamdani responded to Cuomo’s attacks on her experience, saying, “What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity, and what you don’t have in integrity, you can never make up for in experience.”

Cuomo is attempting a political comeback after resigning as governor in 2021 following sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied.

At the second mayoral debate earlier this month, Mamdani referenced women who accused Cuomo of harassment.

Davis, mentioning that moment, asked Cuomo if all the women who made the allegations were lying.

“Well, we know the facts there, right? A report was made. I said it was political. I said it was done for political reasons and it had no facts or merit. That was my statement,” Cuomo responded. during his interview with Davis, adding that the cases against him were dropped and were “political.”

She later added during the ABC interview: “Lying is a harsh word. But was there any harassment? No, and that’s why I wanted my days in court,” she said. “I wanted people to hear the facts…Frankly, I never had a chance for people to hear the facts, but they knew the cases were dropped and there was nothing there.”

Cuomo is running as an independent on the “Fight and Deliver” ticket after losing the Democratic primary in June to Mamdani. But he has emphasized that he still identifies with the Democratic Party, which he told Davis is grappling with a schism between left-wing Democrats and moderates.

“They have a more radical agenda, and I don’t think it’s a radical agenda that works,” Cuomo said. “I know it doesn’t work for New York City and I don’t think it works for the Democratic Party as a whole.”

“I think it’s an election that determines the future of New York City. I think it determines the future of the Democratic Party,” Cuomo said of Tuesday’s mayoral election.