U.S. President Donald Trump and New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani emerged from their Friday meeting with an unexpected alliance, agreeing to cooperate on issues directly affecting workers and low-income communities — housing, food prices, and the cost of living.
“We agreed on far more than I expected,” Trump said from the Oval Office, repeatedly defending Mamdani from tough questions posed by reporters.
The meeting — widely anticipated to be tense due to months of harsh rhetoric in which Trump labeled Mamdani a “crazy communist” — instead concluded with friendly tones, compliments, and pledges of cooperation between the Republican president and the Democratic socialist who won the November election with over 50% of the vote.
Trump added: “I have great confidence that he can do a very good job. Party doesn’t matter — nothing else matters. We will help him make New York a stronger and safer place.”
He congratulated Mamdani on his victory, calling it “an extraordinary race against very smart people.” The two shook hands, with Trump noting that Mamdani may surprise both conservatives and liberals.
This was their first face-to-face meeting, marking Mamdani’s first major test in negotiating with a president who controls federal resources crucial for the city. Although Trump had previously threatened to cut New York’s funding, he has recently softened his tone, saying he “would like the new mayor to succeed.”
However, tensions simmered in the background. Before the meeting, immigration officials suggested increasing operations in the city, while some hardline Republicans even questioned Mamdani’s citizenship, despite his naturalization in 2018.
Mamdani spent Thursday preparing for the meeting, consulting with Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Chuck Schumer, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, activist Al Sharpton, and businessman Robert Wolf.
When asked whether he feared hostile treatment similar to what Ukrainian President Zelensky faced in a previous Trump meeting, Mamdani said he was ready to “defend the interests of New Yorkers every single day.”
The mayor-elect ran on a platform focused on reducing the cost of living, promising free public buses, city-run grocery stores, rent freezes for over 1 million stabilized units, and the first universal childcare program in New York City.
The White House described the meeting as an example of Trump’s willingness to cooperate across political divides.
However, in the election, Trump declined to endorse his own party’s candidate, Curtis Sliwa, instead favoring former governor Andrew Cuomo. During budget negotiations, the Trump administration also froze funding for major New York infrastructure projects, including the Gateway tunnel and the Second Avenue subway extension.
Trump’s support in New York remains low — only 27%, according to CNN exit polls. Yet about 10% of his 2024 voters also voted for Mamdani, indicating that the two share a common appeal: a populist economic message, despite significant ideological differences.
