Trump Signals Shift,Will Meet with New York city Mayor Zohran Mamdani Friday
WASHINGTON D.C. – In a surprising turn following a contentious election cycle, president donald Trump announced Thursday that New York City Mayor Zohran mamdani will visit the White House on Friday. The announcement signals a potential detente between the two leaders after Trump repeatedly attacked Mamdani during adn after his historic election as the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Throughout the campaign, Trump slammed the Democratic socialist as a “communist,” mispronounced his name, and threatened to cut off federal funding to new York City if Mamdani won. He even endorsed Democrat Andrew Cuomo over the Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in the final hours before the vote,labeling Mamdani a “FAILURE.”
Mamdani, in turn, consistently linked the Trump administration to authoritarianism, framing his mayoral goals – addressing affordability and income inequality – as a direct contrast to the president’s focus on wealth and power. “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the same city that gave rise to him,” Mamdani declared in his victory speech, referencing Trump’s New York roots. “And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.”
Though, as the election earlier this month – which also saw sweeping Democratic wins in New Jersey and Virginia – Trump has softened his stance. Speaking to the American Business Forum in Florida, the president appeared to walk back his funding threat, stating, “We’ll help him, we’ll help him. We want New York to be prosperous. We’ll help him a little bit, maybe.”
The shift comes amid numerous vitriolic and racist attacks on Mamdani from Republicans and MAGA supporters, both before and after the election. Days before the vote, Mamdani addressed “racist, baseless attacks” outside a mosque in the Bronx, criticizing opponents for bringing “hatred to the forefront” and impacting New York’s nearly one million Muslims.
Mamdani’s team initiated contact with the White House earlier this week,reflecting his “commitment that showed a willingness to meet with anyone and everyone,so long as it is indeed for the benefit” of New Yorkers. He intends to discuss the impact of Trump’s policies on the cost of living in New York City. “The president ran a campaign where he spoke about a promise to deliver cheaper groceries, a promise to reduce the cost of living,” Mamdani said. “We are seeing his actions … leading to the exact opposite effect for New Yorkers. I will go to make the case, to the president, and to anyone, frankly, that these are the kinds of things we need to change.”
