On November 19th, U.S. President Donald Trump suddenly announced that he will meet with the mayor-elect of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, in the Oval Office of the White House this Friday, November 21st. This will be the first formal meeting between the two politicians since the results of the New York City mayoral election earlier this month, signaling an attempt to establish initial communication channels between two individuals with contrasting political stances.
President Trump took to social media on the 19th to announce, “The communist mayor-elect of New York City, Mamdani, has requested a meeting. We have agreed to meet on November 21st in the Oval Office. Further details will be announced separately.”
This scheduled meeting has drawn attention mainly because Mamdani campaigned on a platform of progressive policies, advocating for increased social welfare spending and funding by taxing businesses and high-income earners. His proposals include freezing rents for over a million rent-stabilized apartments, establishing city-run affordable grocery stores, providing universal childcare services, and free public transportation.
According to the New York City Comptroller’s Office, federal funds account for approximately 8.3% of the city’s operating budget for the 2025 fiscal year, totaling nearly $10 billion. President Trump has stated multiple times that if Mamdani were to be elected, he would reconsider federal aid to New York. On the first day of the government shutdown on October 1st, the White House halted the disbursement of $18 billion in infrastructure funds, citing the need to review the implementation of diverse and inclusive policies. This funding was originally designated for transportation and infrastructure upgrades in the New York area.
During the election campaign, Trump frequently labeled Mamdani as a “communist threat” and endorsed former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent candidate in an attempt to prevent Mamdani’s victory. Despite this, Mamdani emerged victorious in the general election.
Following his election win, Mamdani expressed his willingness to cooperate with the federal government. On November 13th, he met with New York Governor Kathy Hochul to discuss potential federal law enforcement resource reinforcements, including the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents or the National Guard. Hochul, on the 17th, stated that she had advised business leaders to communicate with the White House, emphasizing that any intervention threatening the stability of New York’s financial center could have cascading economic consequences.
President Trump has long been critical of cities governed by the Democratic Party, having dispatched the National Guard to cities like Los Angeles and Chicago during his tenure to address local security and protest activities. Mamdani’s victory has thrust New York into the spotlight of Trump’s policies, with the divergences between the two on immigration, security, and economic issues potentially widening and adding a variable to the 2026 midterm elections.