President Donald Trump announced late Wednesday that he will host New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House on Friday, setting up the first face-to-face encounter between the two men since Mamdani’s upset victory earlier this month.
Trump disclosed the meeting in a social-media post, writing: “Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran ‘Kwame’ Mamdani, has asked for a meeting. We have agreed that this meeting will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st.”
Mamdani’s transition team quickly confirmed the visit, according to local reports. Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the mayor-elect, said the meeting reflects long-standing protocol between an incoming mayor and the sitting president. “As is customary for an incoming mayoral administration, the Mayor-elect plans to meet with the President in Washington to discuss public safety, economic security and the affordability agenda that over one million New Yorkers voted for just two weeks ago,” she said.
The White House had already telegraphed that the session was likely. On Sunday, Trump struck a conciliatory tone toward Mamdani, saying, “We want to see everything work out well for New York,” and predicting the two would “work something out.”
The overture comes after a bruising campaign season in which Trump repeatedly attacked Mamdani, a democratic socialist, labeling him a “communist,” warning that New York would decline under his leadership, and even suggesting he could be deported—despite Mamdani’s status as a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Uganda. Trump also hinted he might withhold federal funding from the city.
Mamdani, 34, rose from a largely low-profile career as a state legislator to become a highly visible progressive figure online and a sharp critic of Trump’s policies, particularly the administration’s immigration approach during Trump’s second term. Running on a platform centered on affordability and equity, he defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo by nearly nine points.
In his election-night remarks, Mamdani cast New York as a potential blueprint for resisting Trump’s agenda. Yet he also signaled a willingness to cooperate where possible. The following day, while detailing a suite of proposals aimed at “Trump-proofing” the city from potential federal actions, he emphasized that he would work with anyone—including the president—if it advanced New Yorkers’ interests.
Trump said Wednesday that the White House would release further information about the meeting soon. Friday’s Oval Office session will mark the first direct engagement between the president and the incoming mayor of the nation’s largest city.
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