Trump to Meet New York Mayor-Elect Mamdani Friday

AFP/APP

Washington: US President Donald Trump said he will meet New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House on Friday, despite having sharply criticized the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist throughout the recent campaign.

Trump repeated his false claim that Mamdani is a “communist,” announcing on his Truth Social platform that the meeting “will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st.”

Mamdani’s spokesperson, Dora Pekec, confirmed the meeting.

“As is customary for an incoming mayoral administration, the Mayor-elect plans to meet with the President in Washington to discuss public safety, economic security and the affordability agenda that over one million New Yorkers voted for just two weeks ago,” Pekec said Wednesday.

The meeting brings together two politicians who grew up in New York’s Queens borough but share few similarities beyond that. While Trump frequently points to Wall Street’s record gains during his presidency, Mamdani has focused on the affordability crisis confronting a city of over eight million residents.

Mamdani, who became the first mayoral candidate since 1969 to cross the one-million-vote threshold, campaigned on expanded affordable housing, childcare support, free city bus rides and the creation of city-run grocery stores. Analysts, however, have questioned whether he can deliver on such a broad and ambitious platform.

Trump — who has a long history of anti-immigrant rhetoric — has mocked Mamdani’s South Asian name and threatened to cut federal funding for New York following the election of the Muslim, Uganda-born politician.

“Mandami, whatever the hell his name is,” Trump said recently, deliberately mispronouncing the mayor-elect’s surname.

Mamdani has responded forcefully to Trump’s comments. During his victory rally earlier this month, he addressed the president directly:

“Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you — turn the volume up!”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that Trump had indeed watched the speech.