From feuding to meeting: Trump agrees to sit down with Mamdani at White House

New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 21, 2025 01:15 IST

US President Donald Trump announced late Wednesday that he will host New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the Oval Office on Friday, saying on Truth Social that the “Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran ‘Kwame’ Mamdani, has asked for a meeting.” Trump added that both sides had agreed and that “Further details to follow!”

The meeting brings together two leaders who have traded shots at each other for months. It could lead to a tense face-to-face or mark the start of a rare cooling of tensions between the Republican president and the Democratic socialist who campaigned on making the city more affordable.

Mamdani, speaking to reporters on Thursday, said he hopes to “share the facts about the affordability crisis in the city,” and stressed that he is ready to work with anyone to make living in New York less punishing. “It behoves me to ensure that I leave no stone unturned in looking to make this city more affordable,” he said. “And this is a meeting where I look forward to speaking about the affordability agenda, public safety and economic security for each and every person who calls this city home.”

The mayor-elect’s spokesperson, Dora Pekec, said the Oval Office visit is customary for an incoming New York City mayor. She added that Mamdani plans to raise “public safety, economic security and the affordability agenda that over one million New Yorkers voted for just two weeks ago.”

Trump’s post referring to Mamdani as “Zohran ‘Kwame’ Mamdani” was a reminder of the blistering rhetoric he deployed during the race for the nation’s largest municipal office. Trump repeatedly branded Mamdani a communist and vowed to slash federal funds if New Yorkers elected him. He also floated deporting Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a naturalized US citizen in 2018.

However, the White House framed the invitation as a sign of openness. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the meeting speaks volumes about the president’s willingness to engage, even with his sharpest critics. “I think it’s very telling, but I also think it speaks to the fact that President Trump is willing to meet with anyone, and talk to anyone, and to try to do what’s right on behalf of the American people,” she said.

Mamdani, who officially takes office in January, said earlier this week that his team had reached out to the White House to request a meeting. Trump confirmed on Sunday night that he intended to meet the mayor-elect, telling reporters “we’ll work something out.”

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With inputs from Associated Press

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