New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani refused Jimmy Kimmel's on-air request to text President Trump a selfie, saying he won't risk a working relationship that could help secure major housing projects. Mamdani emphasized that his meetings with Trump are focused on delivering tangible benefits for New Yorkers, not personal rapport. He highlighted the Sunnyside Yard proposal, which could produce about 12,000 homes and create roughly 30,000 jobs but requires federal approvals. Mamdani also confirmed occasional texts with Trump and said he has urged attention to Haitian New Yorkers' status.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani Refuses Jimmy Kimmel’s Selfie Plea, Says Housing Is Priority
Mamdani Flat-Out Refuses Jimmy Kimmel’s Plea to Send Trump a Selfie of Them: ‘I Love You, But…’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declined Jimmy Kimmel's on-air request to text President Donald Trump a selfie during a Monday-night appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, saying he won't jeopardize a pragmatic working relationship that he hopes will help deliver major housing gains for New Yorkers.
The show was broadcasting from the Brooklyn Academy of Music for the week when host Jimmy Kimmel pressed the Democratic Socialist mayor about his unexpectedly cordial rapport with Trump. The host joked about Mamdani's chemistry with the president and asked whether the mayor had deliberately sought to charm him.
Mamdani responded with lighthearted refusals to Kimmel's jokes — including a direct decline when Kimmel asked whether he would send a selfie to the president. As Mamdani put it on air: "Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing more."
Focus On Delivering For New Yorkers
The mayor said his interactions with Trump, which began with a meeting in November, are intentionally centered on policy and tangible benefits rather than personal rapport. "From that first meeting in November of last year, I was just thinking of how can we make this meeting not about us, but about New Yorkers," Mamdani said, noting follow-up conversations at both the White House and Gracie Mansion.
Sunnyside Yard At The Center
Mamdani highlighted Sunnyside Yard, a proposed redevelopment that could yield roughly 12,000 homes and an estimated 30,000 jobs but requires significant federal involvement and approvals. He said he and Trump have agreed to deepen talks between City Hall and White House teams about the project.
“We're in communication, and it's about Sunnyside Yard, and it's about how we can deliver for the city,” Mamdani said, also noting he has raised concerns about Haitian New Yorkers following the end of their protected status.
The mayor confirmed that he and Trump exchange texts "from time to time," but declined to let the banter derail substantive negotiations. Mamdani repeatedly framed the relationship as pragmatic: cordial enough to enable cooperation on projects that could materially improve life across the city.
Watch the full exchange on ABC for highlights of the interview.
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