TECH BILLIONAIRE CALLS MAMDANI A “CHARISMATIC SWINDLER” AND URGES VOTERS TO BACK CUOMO
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has thrown his support behind former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the 2025 New York City mayoral election, calling on voters to back Cuomo over socialist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.
“Remember to vote Tuesday in New York!” Musk posted on X Monday. “Bear in mind that a vote for Curtis is really a vote for Mumdumi or whatever his name is … VOTE CUOMO!” he wrote, suggesting that supporting Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa would indirectly benefit Mamdani.
Musk’s endorsement comes days before voters head to the polls, adding another high-profile voice to the heated and highly polarized race.
In previous remarks on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Musk described Mamdani as a “charismatic swindler,” warning that his economic policies would lead to a “major decline in living standards” across the city. “You gotta hand it to him—he can light up a stage,” Musk said, “but he has just been a swindler his entire life.”
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO acknowledged that Mamdani remains the frontrunner, but argued that his proposed agenda could undermine New York’s economy and quality of life.
Other technology leaders have also opposed Mamdani’s candidacy, with some reportedly investing millions in independent expenditures to counter his campaign’s momentum.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump echoed similar sentiments in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes,” saying he would hesitate to allocate “a lot of money to New York” if Mamdani were elected. “If you have a communist running New York,” Trump said, “you’re just wasting the money you’re sending there.”
While Trump said he is “not a fan of Cuomo one way or another,” he added that “between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m going to pick the bad Democrat every time.”
