Trump Signals Willingness to Meet NYC Mayor-Elect Mamdani Despite Previous Tensions

No date for Trump-Mamdani meeting has been set for now.

West Palm Beach, Florida:

President Donald Trump indicated Sunday that he plans to meet with New York City's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and said they'll "work something out," potentially signaling a thaw in relations between the Republican president and the Democratic political rising star who have previously portrayed each other as adversaries.

Trump has repeatedly criticized Mamdani for months, inaccurately describing him as a "communist" and forecasting disaster for New York under his leadership. The president also threatened to deport Mamdani, a Ugandan-born naturalized American citizen, and withdraw federal funding from the city.

Mamdani transformed from a relatively unknown state legislator into a social media phenomenon and symbol of resistance against Trump during his mayoral campaign. He ran on a platform of progressive policies with a message directly opposing Trump's aggressive, anti-immigrant agenda in his second White House term.

The 34-year-old successfully appealed to diverse New York voters and defeated political heavyweight former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by nearly 9 percentage points.

During his election night victory speech, Mamdani expressed his desire for New York to demonstrate to the country how to defeat the president. However, the day following his victory, while discussing plans for "Trump-proofing" New York before taking office in January, the incoming mayor also expressed willingness to collaborate with anyone, including the president, if it benefits New Yorkers.

Representatives for Mamdani did not immediately comment Sunday night regarding the president's remarks, but a spokesperson referenced the mayor-elect's statement from last week when he indicated plans to reach out to the White House "because this is a relationship that will be critical to the success of the city."

Trump expressed similar sentiments on Sunday.

"The mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us. We'll work something out," Trump told reporters as he prepared to return to Washington after spending the weekend in Florida.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified shortly afterward that Trump was referring to Mamdani and confirmed no meeting date had been established.

"We want to see everything work out well for New York," Trump said.

Trump's comments came as he also mentioned potential discussions with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following military buildup near the South American country, stating: "I'll talk to anybody."