New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will meet President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Friday — the first face-to-face encounter between the two after months of public sparring throughout Mamdani’s campaign.
Despite Trump announcing the meeting by mocking the progressive Democrat’s policies, Mamdani has emphasized that he welcomes the chance to outline his priorities, particularly his focus on what he calls a “national crisis of affordability.”
“I’m not worried about the meeting,” Mamdani told reporters Thursday. “I see this as an opportunity to present my case.”
Trump revealed the meeting on social media Wednesday night, once again calling Mamdani a “communist” and placing his middle name, Kwame, in quotation marks — a jab he repeated throughout the campaign.
Trump Strikes Softer Tone Before the Meeting
In a Friday radio interview with Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, Trump said he believes their meeting will be productive and suggested he may have gone “too hard” on Mamdani during the election.
“He’s got a different philosophy,” Trump said. “But I give him credit for running a strong campaign. Runs aren’t easy. I think we’ll get along fine. We both want to make New York strong.”
Ahead of the meeting, former UBS executive Robert Wolf wrote on X that he spoke with Mamdani on Zoom on Thursday to discuss economic issues and the upcoming White House visit.
Long-Running Tensions
Throughout the campaign, Mamdani frequently criticized Trump’s policies — including deportations, cuts to federal agencies, and rhetoric attacking Democratic-led cities.
On election night, the 34-year-old mayor-elect delivered a message directly to Trump, telling him to “turn the volume up” as he vowed to defend immigrant communities.
“To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us,” he said.
Asked about the remark, Trump responded:
“He has to be careful saying that to me. I don’t even know what he means.”
Since Mamdani’s Democratic primary win in June, Trump has repeatedly targeted him, even suggesting — without evidence — that Mamdani was in the U.S. illegally. Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and moved to New York as a child, became a U.S. citizen in 2018.
Trump also threatened to pull federal funding from New York if Mamdani became mayor.
Controversies and Criticism
Mamdani has faced pushback over his ambitious affordability agenda, with critics arguing many proposals would require state approval. He has also been scrutinized for past comments criticizing the NYPD and Israel’s government during the Gaza conflict.
He later apologized for remarks targeting the NYPD and reiterated his support for Jewish New Yorkers while maintaining criticism of Israeli government actions.
Despite Trump’s threats, Mamdani says he will not stop challenging the administration’s policies.
“These threats are predictable,” he told ABC News after the election. “This isn’t about safety — it’s about intimidation.”
Mamdani’s Affordability Platform
While he and Trump disagree on many issues, Mamdani says affordability is one area where dialogue is possible, noting Trump campaigned on lowering living costs.
“I have many disagreements with the president,” Mamdani said Thursday. “But I will work with him where I can.”
Mamdani’s affordability proposals include:
- Raising taxes on New Yorkers earning over $1 million a year
- Free child care for babies as young as six weeks
- Fare-free public buses
Trump, meanwhile, has positioned Republicans as the party fighting to lower costs.
“We’re fighting for an economy where everyone can win,” Trump said during a rally in Pennsylvania, “from a young person starting a first job to a family in a drive-through line.”
