President Trump will meet New York City mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani for their first in‑person discussion to address cost‑of‑living and public safety concerns. Mamdani, 34, requested the meeting and will be the city's first Muslim and first South Asian mayor. The session comes amid threats from the president to withhold federal funds—about $7.4 billion is scheduled for FY2026—and low public approval for the president's handling of living costs.
High‑Stakes First Meeting: Trump to Meet New York Mayor‑Elect Zohran Mamdani
By Trevor Hunnicutt; additional reporting by Helen Coster
President Donald Trump will meet face to face on Friday with New York City mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani in a high‑stakes encounter between two political figures who have clashed over immigration, economic policy and public safety.
Mamdani, 34, a state lawmaker and self‑described democratic socialist, requested the meeting to press the White House on the rising cost of living and on measures to improve public safety for the city's roughly 8.5 million residents.
The president has threatened to withhold federal funding from the nation's largest city; the federal government is slated to provide about $7.4 billion to New York in fiscal year 2026, roughly 6.4% of the city's total spending. Legal experts say it is unclear what authority the president would have to rescind those funds.
Both men have traded sharp public criticisms. Trump has called Mamdani a 'radical left lunatic,' a 'communist' and a 'Jew hater'—claims he has not substantiated. Mamdani has repeatedly attacked Trump's immigration plans and other policies affecting New Yorkers, where about four in ten residents were born abroad.
'Being a New Yorker means that you're prepared for all situations,' Mamdani said ahead of the meeting. Trump told Fox News that Mamdani should show respect for Washington and that he wants the city to succeed even if he does not wish Mamdani personal political success.
Born in Uganda, Mamdani will be New York City's first Muslim and first South Asian mayor. His energetic, social media‑savvy campaign reignited debate within Democratic ranks about the party's direction as it organizes opposition to a politically dominant president.
Affordability remains a central concern: a recent poll found low approval for the president's handling of living costs, and New Yorkers face rents nearly twice the national average. Mamdani has pledged to prioritize the cost of housing, groceries, childcare and public transit.
The meeting will test whether two sharply opposed leaders can find practical areas of agreement on issues that matter to New Yorkers, or whether it deepens the public rancor that followed the mayoral campaign.
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