Zohran Mamdani (left), Donald Trump (right)
Trump to host NYC mayor-elect Mamdani at White House on Friday
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
US President Donald Trump announced that he will host New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office on Friday.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump repeated his baseless claim that Mamdani is a “communist” and confirmed the upcoming meeting.
Mamdani’s office, through spokesperson Dora Pekec, confirmed the meeting and stressed its purpose, "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," Pekec said Wednesday.
Both men were raised in Queens, New York, but their approaches diverge sharply. While Trump emphasizes Wall Street achievements and market gains, Mamdani’s priorities focus on affordability issues for the city’s more than 8 million residents. His campaign included pledges for affordable housing, childcare, free city bus rides, and city-run grocery stores.
Experts have questioned whether Mamdani can implement his broad, ambitious platform, given the practical challenges of governing the nation’s largest city.
Throughout the campaign, Trump attacked Mamdani on multiple fronts, including his South Asian heritage, deliberately mispronouncing his name, and threatening to withhold federal funding from New York.
Mamdani, in turn, confronted Trump publicly, rallying supporters with a direct message: "Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you, turn the volume up!"
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that Trump had watched Mamdani’s victory speech, adding context to the forthcoming Oval Office meeting.
