President Donald Trump hosted New York City’s Mayor-elect Zahran Mamdani at the White House, describing their meeting as highly productive and constructive. Mamdani reciprocated, stating he appreciated the opportunity to meet with the President and looked forward to collaborating on shared goals.
The meeting marks a significant shift after months of public sparring and hostile rhetoric between the two figures. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office following the meeting, President Trump, 79, expressed his belief that Mamdani, 34, would be a “fantastic” mayor for New York City.
The President indicated that the discussion did not include the hypothetical scenario of Mamdani ordering the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza, should he visit New York.
Trump praised Mamdani, who stood beside him as the President sat at his desk. After dismissing allegations labeling Mamdani as a “jihadist,” Trump characterized him as a “very reasonable man who deeply desires to see New York great again.”
“The meeting surprised me,” Trump admitted, adding, “We may disagree on the means, but we agree on the goal.” He elaborated that some of Mayor-elect Mamdani’s ideas aligned with his own, stating, “We have one thing in common: we want to improve our city that we love.”
Trump emphasized that Mamdani has an opportunity to achieve great things in New York and needs the support of the federal government, which he pledged to provide. “I expect to help Mayor-elect Mamdani, not harm him,” he asserted.
The two also discussed affordable housing, grocery prices, and utilities. Mamdani successfully capitalized on voter discontent stemming from inflation to win the election, mirroring Trump’s strategy in the 2024 election.
The President further mentioned discussing the potential impact of immigration enforcement in New York City. He concluded, “The better Mamdani does, the happier I will be, and we will help him achieve everyone’s dreams.”
This meeting marks a notable shift in the relationship between Trump and Mamdani after a period of public animosity. The focus now appears to be on collaboration for the betterment of New York City.
