‘Some of his ideas really are the same ideas that I have,’ Trump said, noting shared goals on bringing down prices.
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump said on Nov. 21 that he and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani had a “very productive meeting” at the White House and found common ground on how to support the city, with a focus on housing and affordability.
“We’ve just had a great meeting, a really good, very productive meeting,” Trump told reporters as Madani stood next to him in the Oval Office. “We have one thing in common. We want this city of ours that we love to do very well. And I wanted to congratulate the mayor.”
Mamdani agreed and thanked the president for the meeting.
“We spoke about rent, we spoke about groceries. We spoke about utilities, we spoke about the different ways in which people are being pushed out,” Mamdani said. “I appreciate the conversation. I look forward to working together.”
Trump said: “Some of his ideas really are the same ideas that I have.” He noted shared goals on bringing down prices.
Mamdani, who calls himself a democratic socialist, will be running the most populous city in America starting on Jan. 1, 2026.
He has sparred publicly with Trump, who has criticized his progressive platform and threatened to cut federal funding to the city.
“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,” Trump announced on Truth Social on Nov. 19.
Mamdani commented on the planned meeting during a Nov. 20 press conference, describing it as “customary.”
“I will be heading to Washington, D.C., tomorrow to meet with President Trump in the White House,” Mamdani told reporters.
Mamdani identified two critical issues ahead of the meeting—the affordability crisis in New York City and the Trump administration’s crackdown on crime in several cities.
Mamdani and Trump, both from Queens, have publicly criticized each other for months following Mamdani’s victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination.
By Emel Akan
