‘He’s not a kingmaker’: Hochul rebukes Trump for NYC mayoral meddling

And a new CDPAP development is raising new questions about the program's transition.

Good afternoon — it’s Friday and the International Day of Charity.

In today’s CapCon:

• Hochul warned against Trump’s meddling in the race for New York City mayor, saying anyone he helps will be seen as “compromised.”

• Public Partnerships, the company managing CDPAP, now says it did have contact with state health officials while last year’s state budget was being negotiated.

• New York’s even-year election law will face its final test next week.

Names in today’s CapCon: Donald J. Trump, Eric Adams, Kathy Hochul, Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani

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❗ CapCon Note: Hi everyone! I’m off all next week but you’ll still receive CapCon each weekday. I didn’t want you to think I’d fallen off the face of the Earth.

(New York Governor’s Office)

🗣️ Trump ‘should not be anointing the next mayor of New York City,’ Hochul says

Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered a stern warning Friday to President Donald J. Trump and any candidate for New York City mayor who receives his help to win the election in November.

One of those candidates may not be around much longer: incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is apparently being eyed by advisers to Trump for ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the New York Times first reported Friday morning.

It was already reported earlier this week that Adams could be put up for a position in the Trump administration, but we didn’t know what kind of position that would be and how serious that consideration was.

The idea would be to get Adams out of the race to give Andrew M. Cuomo a better shot at beating Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who Democrats chose as their nominee in June.

Adams said in a statement after the Times story came out that he’s still in the race. But he didn’t exactly rule out accepting a position from Trump.

“While I will always listen if called to serve our country, no formal offers have been made,” Adams said. “I am still running for reelection, and my full focus is on the safety and quality of life of every New Yorker.”

Adams and Hochul have historically been allies. But that relationship hasn’t been the same since Hochul tried to install new oversight of New York City after top members of her party said they no longer trusted Adams to lead it.

There was a perception that the U.S. Department of Justice decided to drop the federal charges brought against Adams last year in exchange for more cooperation on immigration enforcement. Adams has denied a quid-pro-quo.

Either way, Hochul’s not happy about Trump now attempting to get involved in the race for mayor.

“Contrary to what the president thinks, he’s not a king. He’s not a kingmaker and he should not be anointing the next mayor of New York City,” Hochul said. “That is the right of New Yorkers to determine.”

Cuomo has said that he hasn’t spoken to Trump recently and has denied any collusion with the president in the race for mayor.

But being perceived as Trump’s favorite in the race isn’t likely to sit well with Democrats who might have considered voting for him over Mamdani. Hochul said that perception could be toxic, though she didn’t mention the former governor by name.