New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Thursday that he’s “not concerned” his upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump could be a political trap, vowing instead to center the Oval Office sit-down on how they could work to make the city more affordable.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, is set to travel to Washington for a meeting with Trump on Friday, a potentially explosive pairing of polar-opposite politicians who have been at odds for months.
At a news conference outside New York City Hall, Mamdani said he hopes to “share the facts about the affordability crisis in the city” while waving off the idea that the president could use the meeting to embarrass him.
“I have many disagreements with the president and I believe that we should be relentless and pursue all avenues and all meetings that can make our city affordable for every single New Yorker,” he said.
Mamdani won a stunning victory in New York City’s mayoral race this month with a campaign heavily focused on the city’s affordability crisis, promising to turn the power of government toward helping the working class while also fighting back against a hostile Trump administration.
