US President Donald Trump announced that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will meet him at the White House on Friday.
Trump, who has been critical of Mamdani’s policies, had warned ahead of the November 4 election that Mamdani’s victory would be a “complete and total economic and social disaster” for New York City. “Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran ‘Kwame’ Mamdani, has asked for a meeting. We have agreed that this meeting will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st. Further details to follow!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
In his victory speech, Mamdani, who will become the first South Asian and Muslim mayor of New York City, emphasized the role of immigrants in powering the city and challenged Trump directly: “After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him… Turn the volume up,” he said to applause.
Trump described Mamdani’s speech as “very angry” and suggested that while he would like to see the new mayor succeed because he “loves New York,” he doubts that Mamdani’s approach, which he labels “communist,” will work.
Mamdani defeated Republican Curtis Sliwa and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent with Trump’s endorsement. Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani moved to New York City at age 7 and became a naturalized US citizen in 2018. He is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. (Sources)
