A New York Times report has ignited political uproar after alleging that backchannel efforts are underway to offer New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa roles in the Trump administration, in a bid to clear the path for former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the city’s mayoral race.

According to the report, the strategy would see Adams and Sliwa exit the race—potentially in exchange for administration appointments—allowing their respective supporters to rally behind Cuomo. The move is seen as an attempt to blunt the momentum of Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, who currently leads Cuomo by 20 points in most polls.

Reacting swiftly, Mamdani held an emergency press conference on Wednesday to condemn what he described as a “deliberate attempt to manipulate the outcome of a democratic election” — and directly linked the effort to President Donald Trump.

“Today we have learned what New Yorkers long suspected — Andrew Cuomo is Donald Trump’s choice to be the next mayor of this city,” Mamdani declared. “This news is an affront to our democracy, an affront to what makes so many of us proud to be Americans — that we choose our own leaders.”

He warned that his campaign was not just running against fellow candidates, but against “the notion that New York City is for sale.”

“We know that this city will decide its own future — not the White House in Washington, D.C.”

Mayor Adams downplayed the report but notably did not deny that intermediaries may have approached his allies on behalf of the White House.

“If they did or didn’t, my rule was the same from the first day I was elected,” Adams said. “I don’t talk about private conversations. And no matter what happens right now, I’m the mayor of the City of New York.”

He reiterated that he is committed to his current role, stating: “This is the only job I want.”

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa firmly dismissed the claims, calling the report a “distraction” and “absolute misinformation.”

“My focus is right here in New York City, as it has always been,” Sliwa said in a statement. “I’m the only candidate on a major party line who can defeat Mamdani, and I’m committed to carrying this fight through to Election Day.”

He added: “The people of New York City deserve a mayor who will finally make the city work for the hard-working people who power it.”

The alleged backroom maneuvering suggests a dramatic effort to reshape the four-way race, which currently favors Mamdani. A coordinated exit by Adams and Sliwa would likely consolidate support around Cuomo, turning the race into a head-to-head contest between the former governor and the insurgent progressive.

But the revelation has also stirred criticism of outside interference, with Mamdani warning that such tactics threaten the integrity of New York City’s democratic process.

The Trump administration has not issued an official response to the report, and Cuomo has remained silent on the matter.

For now, the mayoral race remains wide open—but the political intrigue is far from over.