Mamdani says he will ‘stand up for New Yorkers’ in Trump meeting

New York mayor-elect says helium ‘will conscionable with anyone’ to propulsion guardant his affordability docket for the largest US city.

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has said helium is “not concerned” astir a imaginable clash with United States President Donald Trump erstwhile the 2 officials conscionable astatine the White House connected Friday.

Mamdani — who is acceptable to instrumentality bureau connected the archetypal time of 2026 — stressed connected Thursday that helium volition negociate with the presidency to propulsion guardant his affordability docket for the largest US city.

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The antiauthoritarian socialist underscored that some helium and Trump ran campaigns focused connected the cost-of-living crisis.

“That’s wherefore everything comes backmost to making the lawsuit for an affordability agenda,” Mamdani told reporters.

“I volition conscionable with anyone. I volition talk to everyone truthful agelong arsenic it could basal to payment an economical docket for New Yorkers. And that’s wherever I volition ever marque the case.”

Trump, a Republican, has been a vocal professional of Mamdani, often falsely calling him a “communist”. The White House has gone arsenic acold arsenic suggesting that it would see stripping the mayor-elect of his US citizenship.

The president besides threatened to withhold funds to New York and deploy national forces to the metropolis if Mamdani is elected.

Many of Trump’s allies person echoed his criticisms and utilized Islamophobic connection against the Muslim mayor-elect.

Representative Elise Stefanik, for instance, called Mamdani a “jihadist”, and Laura Loomer, a right-wing activistic with adjacent ties to the White House, falsely claimed that the mayor-elect volition instrumentality Islamic instrumentality successful New York.

But aft Mamdani won his predetermination this month, Trump appeared to soften his stance, telling Fox News he wants to “make the metropolis succeed”.

Late connected Wednesday, Trump announced connected societal media that helium would big Mamdani astatine the White House, but not without taking shots astatine the mayor-elect’s authorities and mediate name.

“Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran ‘Kwame’ Mamdani, has asked for a meeting,” Trump wrote.

“We person agreed that this gathering volition instrumentality spot astatine the Oval Office connected Friday, November 21st.”

Critics reason that Trump has utilized the bully pulpit of the White House to ambush and belittle guests, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South African person Cyril Ramaphosa.

At a White House sojourn successful February, for instance, Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War III” and “disrespecting” the US, arsenic media cameras rolled.

When asked connected Thursday what helium would bash if helium were to person the Zelenskyy treatment successful the Oval Office, Mamdani said: “I’ll basal up for New Yorkers each azygous day.”

The mayor-elect besides said that helium views the gathering arsenic an accidental to marque his lawsuit personally to the president.

A New York State lawmaker, Mamdani, 34, had minimal sanction designation earlier launching his mayoral run precocious past year.

But successful the lead-up to the Democratic primary, helium rapidly roseate successful the polls with a connection focused connected lowering the outgo of living. He besides has been a vocal protagonist of Palestinian quality rights.

Mamdani yet defeated erstwhile Governor Andrew Cuomo twice: erstwhile to clinch the Democratic information successful June, and a 2nd clip successful the November election. Cuomo, who ran connected the last ballot arsenic an independent, had Trump’s support.

On January 1, Mamdani volition beryllium sworn successful arsenic the 111th politician of New York City.

The mayor-elect’s ambitious docket includes promises of escaped autobus question and childcare arsenic good arsenic expanding nationalist lodging and freezing the rent for government-subsidised properties.