Washington, MINA – United States President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani held a meeting at the White House on Friday, expressing optimism for a cooperative working relationship despite years of public criticism exchanged between them.
Speaking to reporters after the discussion, Trump praised Mamdani whom he had previously labelled a “jihadist” and threatened to strip of US citizenship for his decisive mayoral victory and his campaign’s strong focus on affordability issues affecting New Yorkers.
“We’ve just had a great meeting, a really productive meeting. We have one thing in common: we want this city of ours that we love to do very well,” Trump said, noting that Mamdani ran an “incredible race” and defeated his rivals “easily.”
Mamdani echoed the sentiment, saying their conversation centred on shared priorities for New York City. He said they discussed concerns related to rent, utilities and grocery costs, areas he emphasized throughout his campaign.
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Although the two leaders differ sharply on key issues, particularly immigration enforcement and foreign policy Mamdani said he hopes to collaborate where their interests overlap.
He cited a 2024 video where he spoke with Trump voters about affordability and US involvement in overseas conflicts, saying he now aims to find common ground on ending US “forever wars” and lowering the cost of living.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist and vocal defender of Palestinian rights, stands in stark political contrast to Trump, whose nationalist rhetoric has long portrayed immigrants as internal threats and included previous calls to bar Muslims from entering the United States.
Despite these deep differences, Mamdani emphasized that their meeting avoided contentious topics and instead focused on shared responsibility for serving New York’s 8.5 million residents, many of whom are facing a severe cost-of-living crisis.
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“That’s something that could transform the lives of people living in poverty,” he said.
Trump, responding to questions about their political divide, noted that Mamdani’s message resonated with some of his own supporters. “He said a lot of my voters actually voted for him,” Trump said. “And I’m ok with that.”
The meeting comes as polls show Americans growing increasingly concerned about inflation, adding urgency to economic issues ahead of Trump’s policy agenda for the coming year.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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