Washington
\nUnited States President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani have held talks in the White House, expressing their hope for a productive and cordial relationship despite their history of mutual criticism.
\nSpeaking to the press after their discussion on Friday, Trump praised Mamdani \u2013 the Muslim politician whom he once tarred as a \u201cjihadist\u201d and threatened to strip him of his US citizenship \u2013 for his successful campaign and emphasis on cost-of-living issues.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve just had a great meeting, a really productive meeting.
\nWe have one thing in common: we want this city of ours that we love to do very well,\u201d said Trump, who grew up in New York, adding that Mamdani had run an \u201cincredible race\u201d and beat his rivals \u201ceasily\u201d.
\n\u201cI appreciated the meeting with the president, and as he said, it was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City,\u201d responded Mamdani, saying he discussed issues in areas such as rent, utilities and groceries.
\nMamdani, a democratic socialist who embraced New York\u2019s status as a community made up of people from around the world and offered a firm defence of Palestinian rights, is politically at odds with Trump, whose nativist politics have depicted immigrants as a dangerous internal threat and previously pushed for a ban on Muslims entering the US.
\nAsked about areas of disagreement with Trump, such as immigration enforcement, Mamdani said he hoped to work together towards shared goals despite their differences.
\nHe referred to a video he shared in November 2024, in which he discussed issues such as affordability and US involvement in conflicts abroad with Trump voters after the 2024 presidential election. Mamdani said he now hopes to find common ground on ending US \u201cforever wars\u201d and bringing down the cost of living.
\n\u201cI think both President Trump and I are very clear about our positions and our views. And what I really appreciate about the president is the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, of which there are many, and focused on the shared purpose that we have of serving New Yorkers,\u201d said Mamdani.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s something that could transform the lives of 8.5 million people who are currently under a cost-of-living crisis, with one in four people living in poverty,\u201d he said.
\nWith polls showing growing concerns over the state of the US economy, Trump has recently spoken positively about Mamdani\u2019s focus on cost-of-living issues, despite previous acrimony.
\n\u201cHe said a lot of my voters actually voted for him,\u201d Trump told reporters. \u201cAnd I\u2019m ok with that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Washington United States President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani have held talks in the White House, expressing their hope for a productive and cordial relationship despite their history of mutual criticism. Speaking to the press after their discussion on Friday, Trump praised Mamdani \u2013 the Muslim politician whom he once tarred […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":516206,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-516197","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n