Trump hints at meeting NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani after months of clashes: 'We'll work something out...'
President Donald Trump has signalled openness to meeting New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani despite months of tense political exchanges. Mamdani, who defeated Andrew Cuomo, earlier stated he is willing to work with anyone who can help the city.
In a surprising shift, US President Donald Trump has indicated that he is open to meeting New York City's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. This development comes after months of sharp political hostilities where Trump repeatedly criticised Mamdani, labelled him a "communist" and warned that New York would suffer under his leadership. The president also threatened to deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and later became a naturalised United States citizen along with cautioning that he may cut federal funding to the city.
Mamdani's meteoric rise and his challenge to Trump
Zohran Mamdani's ascent from a relatively unknown state lawmaker to a national political figure has been dramatic. His bold mayoral campaign, built on progressive promises and a strong anti-Trump message, resonated deeply with New Yorkers across communities. The 34-year-old defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo by nearly nine percentage points, cementing his status as one of the most prominent faces of resistance to Trump's second-term policies. During his victory speech, Mamdani said he wanted New York to demonstrate how the nation could stand up to the president. A day later, as he spoke about his plans for "Trump-proofing" the city once he takes charge in January, Mamdani also stressed that he was prepared to work with anyone who could help New Yorkers.
Mamdani camp responds cautiously
While there was no immediate reaction from Mamdani's team on Sunday, a spokesperson referred to his earlier remarks where he made it clear that he intended to contact the White House "because this is a relationship that will be critical to the success of the city."
Trump softens tone, says he is ready for dialogue
Trump, while heading back to Washington after a weekend in Florida, told reporters, "The mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us. We will work something out... We want to see everything work out well for New York," Trump said, signalling an unexpected softening of tone, as per The Associated Press (AP). Soon after, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump was referring to Mamdani and clarified that no date had been set yet.
ALSO READ: Donald Trump calls Zohran Mamdani's victory address 'very angry', warns he's off to a bad start