Mamdani, New York’s mayor-elect, will meet with Trump at the White House on Friday for talks

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is preparing to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday – fulfilling the promise he made to voters during his election night victory speech that he would work with anyone if it would benefit his constituents.

Although the president has been highly critical of Mamdani, he said Sunday that he wants to see “everything goes well for New York” as the two leaders focus on a key issue for Americans: affordability.

Mamdani, who has come forward in favor of policies such as rent freezes and the creation of city-run grocery stores to reduce food prices, promised to use his face-to-face meeting with Trump to make the “case for New Yorkers” who are struggling to pay $2.90 in bus fares.

As a result, Mamdani said he initiated the meeting with Trump “because I will work with anyone to make life more affordable for the more than 8.5 million people who call the city home.”

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani pledged to use his face-to-face meeting with Trump to plead “the cause of New Yorkers.” (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

ZOHRAN MAMDANI REVEALS WHAT HE PLANS TO DISCUSS WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP DURING OVAL OFFICE MEETING

“I have many disagreements with the president and I believe we must be relentless and pursue every avenue and every meeting that could make our city affordable for every New Yorker,” Mamdani said during a news conference Thursday. “I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work with him on any program that benefits New Yorkers. If an program harms New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say something.”

Specifically, Mamdani highlighted poverty rates in the city. In February, Columbia University and the anti-poverty group Robin Hood released a report finding that 25 percent of New York City residents, or more than two million people, live in poverty.

“I have to make the case to President Trump, at the White House, what it means to have to suffer through this affordability crisis and what it means to make this even more difficult,” Mamdani said.

TRUMP SAYS MAMDANI MEETING IN PREVENT: “WE WILL FIND SOMETHING”

If the president was very critical of Zohran Mamdani, he said on Sunday that he wanted to see “everything goes well for New York”. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

Additionally, Mamdani said he also plans to raise the issue of public safety and economic security with Trump.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on what the president would like to discuss with the mayor-elect.

However, Trump told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade that the two each wanted to “make New York strong”, and admitted that he had been a little harsh on Mamdani during the election. He also predicted the meeting would be “completely civil.”

Likewise, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was a testament to Trump’s willingness to “do what’s right” for the American public — regardless of political party.

“It says a lot that tomorrow we have a communist coming to the White House, because he’s the one the Democratic Party elected mayor of the greatest city in the country,” Leavitt told reporters Thursday. “I think it’s very telling. But I also think it speaks to the fact that President Trump is willing to meet with anyone, talk to anyone, and try to do what’s right on behalf of the American people, whether they live in blue states or red states.”

Although Trump has regularly referred to Mamdani as a “communist”, Mamdani has denied that is the case and has instead stated that he is a democratic socialist.

Meanwhile, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital on Thursday that despite the differences between Trump and Mamdani, both are New Yorkers and that increases the chances of a better outcome after the face-to-face discussion.

““I think (Trump) will probably want to make it clear that the federal government will in no way support the implementation of a socialist or communist agenda in New York,” said Malliotakis, whose district includes Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, New York. I’ll be careful.”

Additionally, Malliotakis said the two may have common ground on affordability, and pointed to Trump’s efforts to demand pharmaceutical companies lower prescription drug prices or face consequences from the federal government.

“I think what President Trump is doing to reduce prescription drug (costs) should be something the mayor-elect could embrace…they both have a vested interest in affordability,” Malliotakis said. “However, Mamdani’s policies are simply not working.”

MAMDANI SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO TRUMP, STOPS GIVING HIM CREDIT IN MIDDLE EAST PEACE AGREEMENT

Democratic candidate for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani holds hands with his wife, Rama Duwaji, after voting at a polling station at the Frank Sinatra School of Arts in the Queens borough of New York on November 4, 2025. (Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images)

Affordability and the economy were voters’ top priorities in the 2025 elections, which included Mamdani’s race, as well as key gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, which Democrats ultimately won.

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Fox News Voter Poll data found that New York City voters ranked affordability as their top concern and New Jersey voters reported high state taxes and the economy among their top two issues. Additionally, poll data found that half of Virginia voters said the economy was their top priority.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.