New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Thursday that although he has significant policy disagreements with President Donald Trump, he is willing to work with the administration on any initiative that benefits New Yorkers. Mamdani will meet Trump at the White House on Friday at 3 p.m. ET, their first meeting since his November 4 election victory. He said his team requested the meeting because it is customary for an incoming mayor to engage with the White House, and because New York faces a serious affordability crisis affecting millions across the city.
Mamdani emphasized that he will support any federal agenda that helps New Yorkers and openly oppose any that harms them. He said the meeting is especially important as cities nationwide confront rising living costs and concerns about public safety amid policy changes under the current administration. Trump announced the meeting on Truth Social, referring to Mamdani as a “communist” and claiming the mayor-elect had asked for the meeting. Trump has long criticized Mamdani’s policies, warning before the election that his leadership would be a disaster for the city.
In his victory speech, Mamdani defended New York’s immigrant communities and argued that his win represented a rejection of Trump’s vision. He said the city would now be “led by an immigrant” and vowed to fight the conditions that allowed Trump to gain power. Trump responded by calling the speech “very angry” and predicting that Mamdani would struggle without respecting federal leadership. Mamdani ultimately won the high-profile race, becoming the first South Asian and first Muslim mayor of New York City after defeating Curtis Sliwa and Andrew Cuomo.