Trump is heading to face Zahraan Mamdani in the New York City mayoral election

In a new development that could ignite the race for the mayoral position of New York City, the New York Times revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump has held secret consultations in recent weeks with several Republican businessmen and politicians regarding the possibility of intervening in the elections, aiming to weaken the chances of progressive candidate Zahraan Mamdani, whom he sees as a threat to the conservative agenda in the city.

According to what the newspaper reported from eight informed sources, Trump inquired from his allies about who the most capable candidate would be to defeat Mamdani, who represents the left wing of the Democratic Party and has a political agenda that includes freezing rents, increasing taxes on the wealthy, and expanding social protection policies.

This move comes after the surprise Mamdani caused by surpassing former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the primaries, which was considered a shock to the political circles in New York.

Since that victory, Mamdani has been viewed as the frontrunner in the mayoral race, especially with the clear fragmentation in his opponents' camp.

As part of efforts to explore options, both polling expert Mark Penn and veteran politician Andrew Stein presented Trump with recent poll results showing that Cuomo still enjoys enough popularity to return as an independent and compete strongly.

The two have worked to promote this scenario, publishing a joint op-ed in the Wall Street Journal calling for support for Cuomo's independent candidacy, while a company affiliated with Penn coordinated with a supportive political committee.

In a notable step, three informed sources revealed that Trump made a direct call to Cuomo, despite the historical disagreements between the two men, especially after the Justice Department under Trump opened an investigation into Cuomo's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is still unclear whether the call was initiated by Trump or Cuomo.

Observers say that the splitting of votes among three main candidates _current Mayor Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa_ could benefit Mamdani, unless efforts from the opposing camp are unified behind a single candidate.

However, the major challenge for any potential intervention from Trump lies in his low popularity within New York City, which is traditionally Democratic, and some of his allies warn that his public support for any candidate could have counterproductive results.

Conservative radio host Sid Rosenberg told the newspaper: "New York is not a safe environment for Trump supporters... His endorsement could alienate voters instead of attracting them."

In public statements in early July, Trump harshly attacked Mamdani, calling him a "crazy communist," even claiming _without providing evidence_ that Mamdani is an illegal immigrant, threatening to arrest him if he "obstructs the enforcement of immigration laws," in his words.

For his part, Mamdani denied those allegations, affirming that he is an American citizen and represents the social democracy movement, emphasizing that his program aims to protect the middle class and tenants, and achieve broader economic justice.

It is worth noting that Trump previously played an indirect role in the race when federal charges related to corruption against current Mayor Eric Adams were dropped during his tenure, paving the way for him to run again.

However, this step harmed his image within the Democratic Party and later pushed him to run as an independent, complicating the political scene further.

Amid this entanglement, Trump's team is trying to buy time and plan wisely.

Republican billionaire John Catsimatidis stated that he advised Trump not to rush into making an official stance. He added: "I simply told him: Let's wait until September."

As the election date approaches, will Trump be able to turn the tide of the race in New York, or will his potential intervention merely be a chaotic factor that increases the chances of the candidate he seeks to oust?