Adams endorses Cuomo despite recently calling him a ‘snake and a liar’

Mayor Eric Adams endorsed former Governor Andrew Cuomo to be his successor on Thursday.  AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

By Ryan Schwach

Mayor Eric Adams endorsed former Governor Andrew Cuomo to be his successor on Thursday hours after the two sat together courtside at a Knicks game, and just a few weeks after the current mayor called Cuomo a “snake and a liar.”

Adams’ endorsement was first reported by the New York Times on Thursday morning and the mayor – who bowed out of the race in September – was campaigning by Cuomo’s side by the afternoon.

Adams said during a joint press conference with Cuomo formalizing that he anticipates campaigning with Cuomo in the city’s Black and brown communities. Both have longstanding relationships with communities in Southeast Queens, a base Cuomo will need if he hopes to win on Election Day.

“I’m going to give him my all these next few days,” Adams said. “Black and brown communities, specifically, who have believed there's nothing at stake in this election for them.”

While he is throwing his weight behind Cuomo, Adams said little about what it is that drew him to the candidate he recently blamed for forcing him out of the race. Instead, he said his support is about preventing Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who remains the front runner, from taking up residence at Gracie Mansion.

“This is going to be a raw-knuckle fight on the streets, one block at a time, one building at a time, and we're ready to take it on,” Adams said. “You know that the city means more to me than anything, and it is time for us as a family to come together.”

At the press conference, Cuomo thanked Adams for the endorsement.

“The mayor put his own ambition aside because he cares more about New York City, and he believes Zohran is an existential threat to New York City, and we all have to do our best to make sure that Zohran does not become the next mayor,” he said.

During his own campaign for re-election, Adams campaigned against Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, painting the democratic socialist’s supporters as young, mainly white gentrifiers who do not share the same concerns as many working class New Yorkers.

“Who is his base of support? Gentrifiers,” Adams said Thursday. “Gentrifiers have raised the rent in the city and just respected communities for far too long. He is the king of the gentrifiers.”

In a statement, Mamdani did not seem surprised by the mayor’s endorsement.

“Today confirms what we’ve long known: Andrew Cuomo is running for Eric Adams’s second term,” he said. “It’s no surprise to see two men who share an affinity for corruption and Trump capitulation align themselves at the behest of the billionaire class and the president himself. We are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas that these two disgraced executives embody and build a city every New Yorker can afford.”

While he was still in the race, Adams took plenty of shots at Cuomo ,as well, criticizing his record as governor.

That criticism culminated in September when Adams called Cuomo a “snake and a liar,” accusing Cuomo of feeding rumours to the press about him dropping out of the race and seeking other employment.

Adams dropped his bid for re-election several weeks later, and has since stated he has received several job offers.

“Brothers fight,” Adams said, dismissing his past comments aimed at Cuomo. “It's time to fight for the family.”

All recent polls for the race show that Mamdani has maintained a double digit lead, controlling the race by as much as 24 percentage points, according to a FOX poll from earlier this month.

Early voting begins on Saturday.