President Trump hinted Sunday that he plans to meet with New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani to “work something out” in a potential détente between the Republican president and Democratic political star, who have often acted as political foils for each other.
President Trump has for months criticized Mamdani, falsely labeling him a “communist” and predicting that his hometown of New York would be destroyed if the democratic socialist was elected. He also threatened to deport Mamdani, a Ugandan-born naturalized American, and to withdraw federal funds from the city.
Mamdani went from being an unknown state lawmaker to a social media star and becoming a symbol of resistance against Trump during the mayoral race. He advocated a series of progressive policies and a clear message opposing the aggressive anti-immigrant policies that President Trump has pursued during his second term in the White House.
The 34-year-old appeals to a wide range of New Yorkers, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, one of the political heavyweights, by nearly 9 percentage points.
In his election night victory speech, Mamdani said he wanted New York to show the country how to defeat President Trump. But the next day, the mayor-elect talked about his plans to “stand up to President Trump” in New York after taking office in January, while also saying he was willing to work with anyone, including the president, if it could help New Yorkers.
Mamdani city representatives had no immediate comment on the president’s remarks Sunday night, but a spokesperson pointed to the mayor-elect’s comments last week and said they would reach out to the White House “because this relationship is critical to the city’s success.”
President Trump expressed similar sentiments on Sunday.
“The mayor of New York wants to meet with us. We’re going to work something out,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to return to Washington after spending the weekend at his Florida mansion.
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt clarified shortly afterwards that Trump was referring to Mamdani, who takes office in January, and said no date had been set for such a meeting.
“I hope everything goes well for New York,” Trump said.
President Trump’s comments came as he also said the United States may soon consult with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in response to the military buildup near Venezuela in South America. “I’m willing to talk to anybody,” Trump said.
Mr. Price and Mr. Megerian are contributors to The Associated Press, reporting from Washington and West Palm Beach, respectively. Associated Press writer Jake Offenhertz in New York contributed to this report.
