New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s Meeting With Trump: A Focus On Cost-of-Living Issues

Mamdani described the conversation as focused on cost-of-living concerns and improving city life. “Too often, when two politicians meet, the conversation rarely extends beyond them,” Mamdani said at a news conference outside Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church in the Bronx. “What we found instead is that this was a conversation that was productive, a conversation that was focused on New York City, and a conversation that looks to deliver for the people of New York City.” He said he was “feeling good” in his first appearance back in the city since traveling to Washington. The tone of the meeting has drawn reaction from political observers and residents who viewed the discussion as unusually cordial. Some on social media suggested Mamdani won the exchange, while others said Trump did. “It was New Yorkers that won in this conversation. It was a conversation that came back again and again to the people of the city,” Mamdani said. His return comes a little more than a month before he will be sworn in, raising questions about how involved Trump may be in city matters once Mamdani takes office. The Trump administration previously threatened to withhold federal funding for projects such as the Hudson River tunnels and the Second Avenue Subway extension. Trump has also raised the possibility of deploying National Guard troops to address crime. Mamdani said on “Meet the Press” earlier Sunday that he told the president there is no need for Guard deployment in New York. “What separates New York City from anywhere else in the country is that we have the NYPD. And I trust the NYPD to deliver public safety,” Mamdani said. “And, to me, that is something that I know they can do, have done, and will continue to do under my leadership.” Trump said Saturday he would send the National Guard if he believed it was necessary, though he added other cities need assistance more urgently. Mamdani said the federal government will still support efforts to improve daily life in the city, even with clear differences on immigration. “There may be disagreements between the president and myself, and there will continue to be, and I will always make the case for each and every person that calls the City Hall.” Mamdani posted after his Trump meeting that day-to-day living expenses of New York residents are one of his top priorities. “Working people have been left behind in New York,” Mamdani wrote. “In the wealthiest city in the world, one in five can’t afford $2.90 for the train or bus. As I told Trump today — it’s time to put those people right back at the heart of our politics.” Trump was congratulatory in his short remark following their White House meeting, posting on social media, “It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!” Mamdani is set to be sworn in as New York’s mayor on Jan. 1.