Trump To Meet With Zohran Mamdani After Months Trading Barbs

Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani will beryllium down Friday successful a highly anticipated gathering betwixt nan upstart 34-year-old mayor-elect of New York and a president who sought to kneecap him during nan campaign.

The White House and Mamdani’s squad worked down nan scenes to unafraid a convention betwixt nan 2 men, who will speak face-to-face for nan first time. Trump announced nan get-together Wednesday connected societal media, saying Mamdani, whom he again called a “communist,” would beryllium coming to nan Oval Office.

Trump often refers to Mamdani arsenic a communist; Mamdani — a self-described antiauthoritarian socialist — has rejected nan label.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Mamdani said he will “be fresh for immoderate happens” successful his Oval Office meeting.

“I’m not concerned astir this meeting. I position this gathering arsenic an opportunity to make my case,” he said, adding, “It behooves maine to time off nary chromatic unturned successful making nan metropolis much affordable.

“I person galore disagreements pinch nan president,” he continued. “And I judge that we should beryllium relentless and prosecute each avenues and each meetings that tin make our metropolis affordable for each azygous New Yorker.”

Mamdani noted that it is customary for nan incoming politician of New York to meet pinch nan president.

“For tens of thousands of New Yorkers, this gathering is betwixt 2 very different candidates who they voted for for nan aforesaid logic — they wanted a leader who would return connected nan cost-of-living crisis,” he said.

Mamdani defeated independent campaigner Andrew Cuomo — whom Trump endorsed astatine nan past infinitesimal — and Republican Curtis Sliwa, winning complete a notable number of Trump supporters successful nan Nov. 4 election. NBC News exit polls found that 10% of New York City voters who formed ballots for Trump successful past year’s statesmanlike predetermination voted for Mamdani.

Trump long sought to influence nan mayoral race, moreover earlier he endorsed Cuomo. He told reporters that if Mamdani won he would withhold further backing from New York City.

Asked Thursday whether there’s immoderate chance Mamdani will beryllium capable to seduce Trump not to portion New York City of further funding, White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said, “We’ll spot really nan gathering goes tomorrow, and I’ll fto nan president speak for himself.”

She added that it “speaks volumes” that location will beryllium a “communist coming to nan White House, because that’s who nan Democrat Party elected arsenic nan politician of nan largest metropolis successful nan country.”

“I besides deliberation it speaks to nan truth that President Trump is consenting to meet pinch anyone and talk to anyone and to effort to do what’s correct connected behalf of nan American people, whether they unrecorded successful bluish states aliases reddish states aliases bluish cities,” Leavitt said.

Trump, a autochthonal New Yorker who made his profession successful nan city’s existent property scene, has hinted astatine a warmer attack to Mamdani successful caller days. On Sunday, he said that Mamdani had expressed an liking successful coming to Washington and that “we want to spot everything activity retired good for New York.”

During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani formed himself arsenic nan campaigner who would astir forcefully return connected Trump while focusing connected addressing cost-of-living issues successful housing, kid attraction and transportation.

In an question and reply with NBC News this month, Mamdani foreshadowed a willingness to activity pinch Trump connected affordability issues.

“My rumor is not pinch group speaking pinch nan president,” Mamdani said. “My rumor is what they speak about.

“And truthful I’ll beryllium location fresh to person that speech astir costs of living, if nan president ever wants to,” he said. “But if nan president wants to person a speech astir hurting New Yorkers, astir sending much ICE agents present to terrorize families, astir cuts that we’ve seen, whether it beryllium taking from nan metropolis fund aliases suspending backing for metropolis schools aliases threatening $18 cardinal successful infrastructure grants being withheld, that’s not thing I’m going to spell on with. That’s thing that I’m going to fight.”

Mamdani took purpose astatine Trump successful his triumph reside connected predetermination night.

“If anyone tin show a federation betrayed by Donald Trump really to conclusion him, it is nan metropolis that gave emergence to him,” Mamdani said. “And if there’s immoderate measurement to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling nan very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.

“So Donald Trump,” he added, “since I cognize you’re watching, I person 4 words for you: Turn nan measurement up.”

The crowd astatine Mamdani’s predetermination nighttime statement past fto retired raucous cheers — and Trump took notice.

In an question and reply nan adjacent time with Fox News, Trump said he thought Mamdani delivered “a very angry speech.”

“Certainly angry toward me, and I deliberation he should beryllium bully to me,” Trump said. “You know, I’m nan 1 who benignant of has to o.k. a batch of things coming to him, truthful he’s disconnected to a bad start.”

Trump is coming face-to-face pinch Mamdani at a clip erstwhile operatives and governmental leaders connected nan progressive near and nan MAGA correct activity to nationalize his image for nan midterm elections and beyond, each seeing his communicative arsenic having nan expertise to boost their electoral hopes.

There are similarities betwixt nan 2 men. Both New Yorkers entered superior contests arsenic agelong shots aliases afterthoughts, hardly registering successful nan polls, only to conclusion nan scions of governmental dynasties pinch innovative societal media approaches and memorable messaging.

Asked whether Mamdani’s governmental emergence mirrored his own, Trump told CBS News’ “60 Minutes” this month: “Well, I deliberation I’m a overmuch better-looking personification than him, right?”