Zohran Mamdani says meeting with Trump was Impactful
After meeting with President Trump at the White House on Friday, Zohran Mamdani is back in New York City. Their surprisingly cordial Oval Office news conference seemed to go off without a hitch.
Speaking to reporters outside a Bronx church on Sunday morning, the mayor-elect described the crucial meeting with the president as “productive” and centered on delivering for New Yorkers.
“I’ve been heartened by the responses I’ve received from New Yorkers across the five boroughs who were encouraged to see the focus on cost of living and the affordability crisis that so many are facing in this city, because too often when two politicians meet, the conversation rarely extends beyond them,” Mamdani said.
“I was appreciative of the tone”
Mr. Trump said Friday they had a “really good meeting” after the pair spoke privately inside the Oval Office and then held a joint news conference.
“We agree on a lot more than I would have thought. I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help him do a great job,” said the president.
The men had publicly sparred for months, with the president falsely calling Mamdani a “communist,” and the mayor-elect vowing to “Trump-proof” the city in his election night victory speech.
“I was appreciative of the tone and the fact that both of us were looking to have a productive meeting,” Mamdani said Sunday.
Mamdani says he stands behind fascism remarks
One remarkable moment came when a reporter asked Mamdani about his comments calling Mr. Trump a “fascist,” and the president told him, “You can just say yes.”
During a Sunday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the mayor-elect said, “That’s something that I’ve said in the past, I say it today.
I think what I appreciated about the conversation that I had with the president was that we were not shy about the places of disagreement, about the politics that has brought us to this moment. And we also wanted to focus on what it could look like to deliver on a shared analysis of an affordability crisis for New Yorkers,” said Mamdani.
He was asked in the Bronx what message it may send that he’s now posing for photos with the president.
“I think the responsibility I have as the mayor of the city is to work with anyone who can help to alleviate the affordability crisis and deliver dignity to each and every person that calls the city home, and I think it is critically important to both be honest about our own opinions, our own assessments, and be committed to working with anyone who could further that,” Mamdani replied.