Metropolis comptroller frontrunner Mark Levine cozied as much as a Massive Apple MAGA supporter and election denier whereas locking down the Jewish bloc — after the Democrat campaigned that he would “tackle Donald Trump.”
Incumbent Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine not too long ago accepted the endorsement of Victoria Zirkiev, a self-proclaimed Trump supporter, and touted the backing in a photograph on his Instagram whereas assembly with a Jewish Charity final week.
“In the present day our neighborhood welcomed @marklevinenyc the Manhattan Boro President who’s working for NYC Comptroller. It’s vital to vote for the appropriate mayor but it surely’s additionally vital to elect the appropriate folks for the opposite positions in NY,” she mentioned, issuing her endorsement.
Levine’s pal has posted many instances in help of the present president, together with selfies in a Trump 2024 hat, and wrote, in a since-deleted story, Zirkiev prompt the 2020 election was stolen, in accordance with the Instances of Israel.
“Are you able to guess who I voted for? Solely TRUMP!” reads certainly one of Zirkiev’s posts.
Zirkiev serves because the president of the ladies’s division of Queens-based nonprofit, Chazaq.
The marketing campaign dismissed the endorsement as merely a photograph from the marketing campaign path, taken with leaders of a bunch that receives a few of its funding from the Metropolis Council.
“That is absurd – Mark Levine has been standing as much as Trump for over a decade and as Comptroller will probably be New York’s firewall towards his fascism,” mentioned marketing campaign supervisor Matt Rubin. “Suggesting something extra is marketing campaign non-sense and insulting to Jewish communities throughout town which are going through actual challenges and threats.”
Levine’s camp has since eliminated the picture from his Instagram.
The group distanced itself from the general public help, telling The Submit, “The Chazaq organisation doesn’t endorse anybody.”
Zirkiev couldn’t be reached for remark.
The picture emerged within the last days of the comptroller race for the Democratic nomination, whereas one of many foremost points has been how the subsequent fiscal watchdog will take care of President Trump, who has vowed to focus on all sanctuary cities.
“As comptroller, I’ll tackle Donald Trump,” Levine promised throughout a debate in Could.
In February, Massive Apple officers had been left surprised when $80 million in federal funds was siphoned out of metropolis accounts by DOGE, following tweets from Elon Musk that the cash was used to accommodate migrants in luxurious lodges.
President Trump backed up his then-ally Musk, condemning town’s use of federal {dollars}.
“It is a large fraud that’s going down,” Trump mentioned on the time.
Brad Lander, the present metropolis comptroller and candidate for mayor, known as the stunt a “freeway theft” and demanded that Mayor Eric Adams get the cash again, but it surely was by no means returned.
Levine has a hefty lead over his opponent, present councilman and finance chair Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn), who’s time period restricted.
Levine was polled at 44% in comparison with Brannan’s 14% in a Honan Technique Group ballot launched on June 11, which had the undecided votes simply over one third.
Brannan’s inside ballot had him trailing Levine by 11 proportion factors with 44% of voters nonetheless undecided with the first set to be held on June 24.
Brannan, who additionally claims he’ll go toe-to-toe with Trump to defend the Metropolis’s coffers, additionally has some unfastened ties to the MAGA world.
The tremendous PAC, New Yorkers for Accountablitly, backing his run is run by lobbyist Patricia Lynch and former Republican Meeting candidate Dmitriy Kugel, who has brazenly supported Trump.
“What we’d like proper now’s a fighter and never a letter author,” Brannan mentioned at a debate on June 10.
