President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will meet New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House on Friday, telling WABC and posting online that Mamdani had asked for the sit-down.
Trump said the meeting will take place in the Oval Office.
The city already is uneasy about its political direction.
Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, won the mayor’s race promising sweeping changes that critics warn could push New York into a hard-left experiment at a time when crime, out-migration of business leaders and residents, and budget shortfalls are top concerns.
Trump made Mamdani a national target early in the campaign, warning repeatedly that electing him would send New York “over the cliff.”
He called Mamdani a “pure communist,” someone who “will destroy the city faster than anyone before him.” He also cautioned that federal funding could be imperiled if Mamdani attempted to shield migrants from federal enforcement or obstruct ICE operations.
Mamdani brushed off those threats, saying Trump was using New York as a political prop.
He argued that the president was trying to bully the city rather than address real policy disputes.
The mayor-elect’s proposals — rent cancellation, expanded tenant power over landlords, a reset of policing priorities and major redistributive programs — intensified anxiety.
Critics said the agenda risked accelerating the loss of high earners and small businesses, deepening the fiscal strain New York already faces.
As Election Day approached, the back-and-forth escalated. Trump mocked Mamdani’s agenda in rallies across the country and told supporters that New Yorkers “are not ready for what they’re about to get.”
Mamdani countered that Trump was nationalizing the mayoral race to energize his own base.
Mamdani aimed directly at the president during his election-night speech, telling Trump, “Since I know you’re watching … New York will remain a city of immigrants … built by immigrants … and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”
The comments were immediately seized on by Republicans, who said the new mayor was signaling confrontation instead of cooperation.
Trump fired back Thursday morning, calling Mamdani “dangerous,” “anti-police,” and “totally unprepared” to run a city of more than 8 million people.
People briefed on Friday’s meeting say the two will enter with very different expectations.
Mamdani’s team views it as a courtesy meeting and plans to raise transit funding, migrant-shelter reimbursement and housing support.
Trump’s advisers say the president intends to lay down strict expectations on crime reporting, ICE cooperation, and compliance with federal security measures.
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