Donald Trump announced that New York City’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, will visit him at the White House this Friday.
Trump, who had openly criticised Mamdani throughout the campaign, reiterated his concerns following the November 4 vote, warning that a Mamdani administration would be a “complete and total economic and social disaster” for the city.
Mamdani’s election marks a historic breakthrough as he is the first South Asian and the first Muslim to win the mayoralty of the United States’ largest city.
United States President Donald Trump announced that New York City’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, will visit him at the White House this Friday.
Trump, who had openly criticised Mamdani throughout the campaign, reiterated his concerns following the November 4 vote, warning that a Mamdani administration would be a “complete and total economic and social disaster” for the city. On Wednesday, in a post on Truth Social, he wrote that the “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. Further details to follow!”
The overture comes after Mamdani used his election-night remarks to directly challenge the President, who has intensified his immigration policies during his second term. Addressing supporters, Mamdani declared that New York’s future would be shaped by its immigrant communities and, after his victory, would be “led by an immigrant.”
He told the crowd, “After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.” He punctuated the speech with a message aimed squarely at Trump: “This is not only how we stop Trump; it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.”
The President dismissed the speech as a “very angry” tirade, arguing that Mamdani was off to “a bad start” and would find little success in Washington without showing more deference. Asked whether he would initiate contact, Trump replied that the mayor-elect should be the one to extend the first hand. “He should reach out to us really. I think he should reach out. I'm here. We'll see what happens. But I would think that it would be more appropriate for him to reach out to us,” Trump said, adding that he remained personally conflicted because “I would like to see the new mayor do well, because I love New York. I really love New York.” He again labeled Mamdani a “communist,” remarking: “Communism or the concept of communism has not worked. I tend to doubt it's going to work this time.”
Mamdani’s election marks a historic breakthrough as he is the first South Asian and the first Muslim to win the mayoralty of the United States’ largest city. Long considered the frontrunner, he ultimately defeated Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who mounted an independent bid and received a last-minute endorsement from Trump.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven. The Indian-descent mayor-elect is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University scholar Mahmood Mamdani, and he became a naturalised U.S. citizen in 2018.
