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Zohran Mamdani ‘will work’ with Trump on any agenda benefitting New Yorkers
Zohran Mamdani, who Trump describes as a "communist", is set to meet with the President in the Oval Office, at the White House, on Friday.
While noting his many disagreements with US President Donald Trump, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said on Thursday that he will work with the Republican leader on any agenda that benefits New Yorkers.
Mamdani, who Trump describes as a "communist", is set to meet with the President in the Oval Office, at the White House, on Friday. This will be the first meeting between the two, and also since his historic victory in the November 4 New York City mayoral election.
“I have many disagreements with the President, and I believe that we should be relentless and pursue all avenues and all meetings that can make our city affordable for every single New Yorker,” Mamdani was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
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Zohran Mamdani asserted that he will make it clear to Trump that "I will work with him on any agenda that benefits New Yorkers. If an agenda hurts New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say so".
Speaking to reporters in New York, Mamdani said his team had approached the White House to set up this meeting as the mayor-elect is ready to work with anyone to make life more affordable for the more than eight and a half million population of NYC.
The 34-year-old further stated that it is customary for an incoming New York City Mayor to meet with the White House, "given the mutual reliance".
Mamdani said that it is more important than ever, given the national crisis of affordability, one that New Yorkers are very well versed with. He said that another specific challenge that many cities are facing is balancing public safety against steps taken by the Trump administration.
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For New Yorkers, Mamdani said his meeting with the US President "is between two very different candidates who they voted for the same reason". He added that the city residents wanted a leader who would take on the cost-of-living crisis that "makes it impossible for working people to afford living in this city".
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday night, Trump confirmed that the "communist" Mayor of NYC, Zohran "Kwame" Mamdani, asked for a meeting, adding that the White House has agreed for the same to take place on Friday, November 21.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also confirmed Mamdani's Oval Office visit during a briefing on Thursday and said, "It speaks volumes that tomorrow, we have a communist coming to the White House, because that's who the Democrat Party elected as the mayor of the largest city in the country."
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Right from the beginning, Trump has been critical of Mamdani's policies, warning on the eve of the NYC mayoral election that the democratic socialist leader's win will be a "complete and total economic and social disaster" for New York City.
After achieving a historic victory in the mayoral race, Mamdani challenged Trump in a fiery speech and asserted that New York will be powered by immigrants, and after his win, will be "led by an immigrant".
Born in Kampala, Uganda, Zohran Mamdani moved to New York City when he was seven years old and later became a naturalised US citizen.
Mamdani's mother, Mira Nair, is a celebrated Indian-American filmmaker, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a professor at Columbia University.
“After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power,” Mamdani said, drawing thunderous cheers from the audience.
Mamdani declared, "This is not only how we stop Trump; it's how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up."
Later, Trump described Mamdani's victory speech as a "very angry" address, saying he is off to a bad start and does not have a chance of succeeding if he is not respectful of Washington.
With his swearing-in in January 2026, Zohran Mamdani is set to become New York's first-ever Muslim, Indian-origin mayor, and also the youngest to hold the position in over a century.
