New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will meet President Donald Trump at the White House Friday to discuss affordability issues affecting more than 8.5 million residents.
New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is gearing up to meet President Donald Trump at the White House Friday — fulfilling a promise he made to voters during his election night victory speech that he would work with anyone if it would benefit his constituents.
While the president has been highly critical of Mamdani, he said Sunday he wants to see „everything work out well for New York“ as both leaders zero in on a key issue for Americans: affordability.
Mamdani, who ran on policies including rent freezes and city-run grocery stores to cut food prices, has vowed to use his face-to-face meeting with Trump to make a „case for New Yorkers“ who are struggling to pay $2.90 in bus fees.
As a result, Mamdani said that he had 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.“
„I have many disagreements with the president, and I believe that we should be relentless and pursue all avenues and all meetings that could make our city affordable for every single New Yorker“, Mamdani said at a press conference Thursday. „I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work with him on any agenda that benefits New Yorkers. If an agenda hurts New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say something.“
Specifically, Mamdani pointed to poverty rates across the city. In February, Columbia University and anti-poverty group Robin Hood released a report that found that 25% of New York City residents — more than two million people — are living in poverty.
