President Trump says he will meet with NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani

 

President Donald Trump said he is planning on meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

Trump has repeatedly bashed Mamdani, calling him a communist and endorsing opponent Andrew Cuomo, the former Democratic New York governor who lost in the primary and ran in the general election as an independent. But Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman from Queens who identifies as a Democratic socialist, won the race with historic voter turnout.

“The mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us, and we’ll work something out. But he would like to come to Washington,” Trump told reporters on Nov. 16. "We want to see everything work out well for New York." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed to USA TODAY that Trump meant Mamdani (The current mayor is still Eric Adams).

Mamdani said on Nov. 17 he had reached out to the White House to follow through on his commitment to work with anyone on affordability in New York City, per comments provided by a spokesperson.

"We are seeing his actions and that of his administration in Washington leading to the exact opposite effect for New Yorkers," he said. "I will go to make the case to the President and to anyone, frankly, that these are the kinds of things we need to change if we want to make it easier for New Yorkers and for Americans to afford the day to day necessities of their life.”

What did Trump say after Mamdani's win?

On Nov. 4, Mamdani was among a few Democratic leaders who won key local and state elections, offering what some see as a rebuke of Trump's policies in the first ballot box judgment of his return to power. Mamdani's race has garnered national attention for mobilizing record-breaking volunteer and voter turnout, especially in light of the Democrats' 2024 bruising losses.

Trump acknowledged Republicans underperformed in these off-year elections, and some conservatives also pointed out the races were in blue states that Trump lost in 2024.

"'TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,' according to Pollsters," Trump wrote on Truth Social late on Nov. 4, but he did not cite the pollsters.

Trump mentioned Mamdani the following day while speaking at the America Business Forum in Miami, Florida.

“On Nov. 5, 2024, the American people reclaimed our government,” Trump said. “We restored our sovereignty − we lost a little bit of sovereignty last night in New York, but we’ll take care of it, don’t worry about it."

Trump has repeatedly called Mamdani a communist and endorsed long-time Democrat Cuomo in the general election.

"If it’s gonna be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time to be honest with you," Trump said on "60 Minutes" the weekend before the election. 

Mamdani is not a communist but a democratic socialist. Communist societies are not democratic, while democratic socialism exists in European democracies like Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Trump repeated the claim that Mamdani is a communist in his remarks on Nov. 5, and said New Yorkers will flee to Miami.

Mamdani addressed Trump in his election-night victory speech

After taking office in January 2026, Mamdani will lead not only the most populous city in the U.S. but also Trump's hometown. His campaign focused on affordability, but he didn't shy away from progressive messages about fighting inequality and protecting the rights of immigrants.

“If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him,” Mamdani said during his victory speech on Nov. 4. “So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.”

In announcing his transition team the day after the election, Mamdani said the White House had not reached out to congratulate him, but he was interested in speaking with Trump.

"I continue to be interested in having a conversation with President Trump on the ways in which we can work together to serve New Yorkers," Mamdani said on Nov. 5. "Whether that be delivering on his campaign promises around cost of living or the many issues that New Yorkers have been sharing with me about the drastic impacts that the legislation that President Trump has ushered through Washington will mean for them and their lives."