Andrew Cuomo mocked as ‘nepo baby’ in spat with Zohran Mamdani as he brags about family legacy

Andrew Cuomo mocked as ‘nepo baby’ in spat with Zohran Mamdani as he brags about family legacy
Andrew Cuomo touted his famous family while challenging Zohran Mamdani in a tweet on Friday, August 8 (Spencer Platt, Michael M Santiago/Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has drawn widespread ridicule after a pointed social media post targeting Democratic socialist and New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.

The jab, posted late Friday, August 8, on X (formerly Twitter), comes weeks after Mamdani’s surprise victory over Cuomo in the Democratic primary that forced the 67-year-old to reenter the race as an independent.

The already tense field also includes incumbent Eric Adams, who is similarly running without party affiliation.



 

Andrew Cuomo slammed as ‘nepo baby’ after challenging Zohran Mamdani 

In his post, Andrew Cuomo leaned heavily on his political lineage, writing, “In case you forgot, I’m Andrew Cuomo, son of Mario, grandson of Andrea. Welcome to the heavyweight bout, @ZohranKMamdani. This is a two man race. You look tired already. It’s just the second round.”

His late father, Mario Cuomo, served as New York governor for over a decade, while his grandfather, Andrea Cuomo, was a Sicilian immigrant who opened a grocery store in Queens.

Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo arrives to testify before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Rayburn House Office Building at the Capitol on September 10, 2024, in Washington, DC (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo arrives to testify before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Rayburn House Office Building at the Capitol on September 10, 2024, in Washington, DC (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

The attempt to frame the contest as a personal showdown, however, backfired in the court of public opinion.

Critics pounced on Cuomo’s remarks, with journalist Mehdi Hasan mocking the post as essentially saying, “In case you forgot, I’m a nepo baby!”



 

Film producer Franklin Leonard corrected Cuomo, saying, “Technically, this is a rematch. You got knocked out in the first fight.”



 

Journalist Keith Olbermann replied to Cuomo’s post, writing, “You’ll need to provide a paternity test, because you sure as hell aren’t acting as smart as either of them.”



 

Mamdani, 33, secured the Democratic primary with 43.8 percent of the vote in a surprise victory, while Cuomo finished second with 36.1 percent.

Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, attends an endorsement event from the union DC 37 on July 15, 2025, in New York City. Weeks after Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor, various wealthy interest groups have begun to mobilize against the 33-year-old state assemblyman. Mamdani has vowed to freeze rent hikes for a year, make buses free, and increase taxes on wealthy New Yorkers. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that he will continue his run for New York City mayor after losing to Zohran Mamdani in last month's Democratic primary. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, attends an endorsement event from the union DC 37 on July 15, 2025, in New York City (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Internet reacts after Andrew Cuomo boasts about his prominent family lineage

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo drew sharp online criticism after boasting about his family’s political lineage, with many accusing him of leaning on heritage instead of a clear vision for voters.

Several users blasted Cuomo for what they saw as an attempt to claim office based on his family name.

One wrote, “You are just saying that somehow you’re entitled to be in office because of your family. You’ve never once said how you will benefit the people of NYC. You just feel you’re owed the job. Sick."

A person said, “If you have to invoke your father’s name to make a point about your candidacy, then you probably don’t have any record to run on. Unfortunately, leaders are made, not born. As such, leadership is not genetically transmitted. No idea what you’re trying to achieve.”

Many urged Cuomo to step aside and let new voices lead, with one writing, “You’re an old, lazy politician. Zohran is young, fresh and full of great ideas for New York. Step aside and take your loss like a good champ.”

An individual simply wrote, “Go away already.”

“You actually typed this and pressed send and saw nothing wrong,” one remarked in surprise, with another adding, “This is so embarrassing.”



 



 



 



 



 



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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