Crystal Dike
United States President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met at the White House on Friday, expressing optimism about building a productive working relationship despite a history of sharp public disagreements.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trump praised Mamdani — whom he once labelled a “jihadist” and threatened to strip of U.S. citizenship — for running what he called an “incredible race” with a strong focus on cost-of-living concerns.
“We’ve just had a great meeting, a really productive meeting,” Trump said. “We have one thing in common: we want this city of ours that we love to do very well.”
Mamdani, a democratic socialist known for defending Palestinian rights and championing New York’s multicultural identity, said the discussion centred on economic pressures faced by residents.
“It was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City,” he said, noting that he raised issues including rent, utilities and grocery prices.
Despite deep ideological divides — particularly over immigration policy and enforcement — Mamdani said he hoped cooperation would still be possible. He recalled a video he shared in November 2024, in which he spoke with Trump voters about affordability challenges and U.S. foreign policy after the 2024 presidential election.
Mamdani said he aims to find common ground with Trump on ending U.S. “forever wars” and addressing rising living costs.
“I think both President Trump and I are very clear about our positions,” he said. “Our meeting focused not on areas of disagreement, of which there are many, but on our shared purpose of serving New Yorkers.”
He added that addressing the city’s cost-of-living crisis — which affects 8.5 million residents, with one in four living in poverty — could be transformative.
With polls showing heightened public anxiety over the U.S. economy, Trump has recently softened his stance toward Mamdani’s political agenda.
“He said a lot of my voters actually voted for him,” Trump said. “And I’m OK with that.”