President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he plans to meet with Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, and hinted that the two will "work something out," implying that tensions between them may be reduced.
For months, Trump has targeted Mamdani, mistakenly referring to him as a "communist," and warned that if the democratic socialist won, New York will suffer. He also threatened to remove federal money for the city, implying that Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and subsequently became a US citizen, may be deported.
Mamdani, a little-known state senator, rose to national prominence on social media and became a key opponent of Trump's mayoral campaign. He pushed a number of progressive measures and ran in direct opposition to Trump's hardline immigration policy during his second term.
Mamdani, 34, received support from a diverse variety of New Yorkers and defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo by nearly nine points. In his victory address, he stated that New York should lead the way in resisting the president. Still, the next day, he stated that he was willing to work with anyone, including Trump, if it would help the city after he enters office in January.
Mamdani's staff did not immediately reply to Trump's statements, but a representative alluded to past remarks in which the mayor-elect stated that he wanted to call the White House since preserving that connection is critical to New York's success.
Trump reiterated a similar tone on Sunday, telling reporters before returning to Washington from Florida that the mayor-elect wanted to meet and that they would work something out. The White House press secretary subsequently acknowledged that Trump was referring to Mamdani, but no meeting has been set.
Trump stated that he was open to speaking with anyone and that his administration may soon have a conversation with Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela, following recent military actions close to the country.
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