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U.S. President Donald Trump will meet New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the Oval Office on Friday, marking the first direct conversation between the two since Mamdani won the election earlier this month.
Trump announced the meeting in a social media post on Wednesday night, saying they had agreed on Nov. 21 as the date. Mamdani’s team confirmed the meeting and said it follows the standard practice of incoming administrations.
Mamdani plans to discuss public safety, economic security and the affordability agenda he campaigned on.
His spokesperson Dora Pekec said more than 1 million New Yorkers voted for these priorities, which include lower child care costs, city-owned grocery stores, free bus services and rent freezes for stabilized apartments.
The meeting comes after months of intense criticism from the president.
Trump has repeatedly labeled Mamdani a communist, mocked his name and threatened to cut federal funding to New York City if he won.
Ahead of the election, Trump warned he might contribute only the minimum required federal funds and said the city had “zero chance of success” under Mamdani. He also endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, in an effort to block Mamdani’s momentum.
During the campaign, Trump claimed he might “take over” the city if Mamdani won and previously threatened to arrest him if he blocked federal immigration raids.
Some Trump allies and Republican lawmakers targeted Mamdani with Islamophobic rhetoric. Representative Andrew Ogles called him “little Muhammad,” questioned his citizenship and urged the Justice Department to investigate him.
Mamdani was born in Uganda, moved to the United States at the age of 7 and became a naturalized citizen in 2018.
New York mayor Mamdani has refused to back down. In his victory speech, he addressed Trump directly and told supporters, “Turn the volume up.”
He argued that New York could counter Trump’s influence by addressing the affordability conditions that shape daily life for residents. He has described the incoming period as a moment defined by an “authoritarian administration” and an affordability crisis.
Despite months of confrontation, Mamdani said last week that he had reached out to the White House. He argued that he has a responsibility to meet with anyone if doing so benefits the 8.5 million people who live in New York.
He told MS Now that he wants to speak plainly to the president about the realities facing residents and the pressure of rising living costs.
Friday’s meeting places two figures from Queens at the center of a national conversation about federal funding, affordability and political polarization.
Trump wields significant influence over the federal budget, which remains crucial for New York City. The Washington Post previously reported that the city’s 2026 operating budget includes $7.4 billion in federal funds.
Mamdani enters the meeting as the first Muslim and South Asian mayor-elect of New York and the first candidate since 1969 to receive more than 1 million votes.
His mandate focuses on making the city more affordable, expanding public services and addressing economic strain across neighborhoods. Trump, meanwhile, has tied Mamdani’s agenda to national debates about socialism, immigration and federal authority.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the president watched Mamdani’s victory remarks. What emerges from Friday’s meeting remains uncertain, but both sides framed it as an opportunity to address core issues shaping the nation’s largest city.
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