President Donald Trump vowed on Friday that his administration would work with New York’s incoming Democratic socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani to improve life for residents of the US financial capital.
“We’re going to be helping him to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York,” Mr Trump said after a White House meeting that Mr Mamdani described as “very productive.”
The pair appeared in a very cordial press conference after the meeting, where Mr Trump even stepped in to help the incoming mayor.
He bizarrely gave Mr Mamdani cover with the press when pushed if he was walking back his attack on the president, calling him a “fascist.”
“I’ve spoken about,” Mr Mamdani started to answer before Mr Trump interjected.
“That’s ok,” Mr Trump said, appearing to give him the OK to stand by his statements.
“You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining,” the president added.
Mr Trump said the pair agreed on quite a few issues during their Oval Office meeting, including on keeping the Big Apple safe.
“People would be shocked, but I want to see the same thing,” Mr Trump said.
Mr Trump also reporters that he would “love” to be mayor of New York City one day.
“Being the mayor of New York City is a big deal,” Mr Trump said.
“I always said, ‘you know, one of the things I would love to be someday as the mayor of New York City,’
“Especially now, because I think you’re at a really a turning point, one way the other. It can go great, or it can go in a different direction.”
‘Maybe a bit hard’: Trump’s surprise U-turn
Before the meeting Mr Trump rowed back some of his criticism of New York’s incoming mayor, who he previously berated as a “communist lunatic”.
Prior to the meeting, Mr Trump said maybe he had been a “little hard” on Mr Mamdani, who resoundingly won the New York City election earlier this month. He takes over as mayor from Eric Adams on January 1.
Both men are New Yorkers but from different sides of the track. Mr Mamdani is an immigrant whose family moved to New York when he was seven where he attended a Bronx public school. Mr Trump was born into a powerful and wealthy family.
The two are no fans of one another. Mr Trump openly campaigned for Mr Mamdani’s rivals and threatened to withdraw federal funding if he won.
Yet some have compared the trolling Mr Mamdani, a Democrat, to Mr Trump – albeit a left wing version.
The US Federal Government has a level of influence over New York City. Many major infrastructure projects in the city are partly funded by Washington DC. Mr Trump could also ramp up immigration raids which have, so far, been relatively muted in the US’ largest city. He could also try and send in the National Guard which has not occurred.
‘Donald, I know you’re watching’
During his victory speech Mr Mamdani said: “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up!”
He also said Mr Trump had “threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported”.
On Wednesday, Mr Trump said the “Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran ‘Kwame’ Mamdani, has asked for a meeting”.
Mr Trump pointedly used Mr Mamdani’s middle name and put it in quote marks. In the past he has highlighted Barack Obama’s middle name Hussein in social media posts.
Mr Mamdani has said he is a democratic socialist not a communist. He has also softened on some of his previous positions, including his animosity to the police. Last week, he met the current NYPD chief Jessica Tisch who agreed to remain in place.
‘We’ll get along fine’
Speaking to Fox News Radio on Friday, US time, Mr Trump struck a more emollient tone towards Mr Mamdani.
“I think we’ll get along fine,” he said, adding he felt the pair wanted “the same thing,” for the city.
“We want to make New York strong”.
Mr Trump admitted he was “hitting him a little hard” during the campaign while he also referenced Mr Mamdani’s victory speech remarks.
“I don’t know exactly what he means by ‘turn the volume up’ … he has to be careful when he says that to me”.
Ahead of his meeting, Mr Mamdani said: “I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work on any agenda that benefits New Yorkers”.
“If an agenda hurts New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say so.”
Mr Mamdani has a difficult needle to thread with Mr Trump. Undoubtedly some of his voters were attracted to his anti-Trump stance so if he becomes too chummy with the US president could alienate a key part of his constituency.
But if he wants federal funds from New York while keeping the National Guard out of the city he will also have to come to some kind of understanding with Mr Trump.
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