Trump to meet NYC mayor-elect Mamdani at White House on Friday

AFP

US President Donald Trump said he will meet New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House on Friday in what would be the first meeting of the republican leader with the democratic socialist who won this month's mayoral election.

Mamdani and Trump have been critical of each other, with Trump having backed Mamdani's opponent, Andrew Cuomo.

Mamdani, for his part, has been critical of the Trump administration's policies, including its crackdown on immigration and US support for Israel during the Gaza war.

"We have agreed that this meeting will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st," Trump posted to social media on Wednesday.

Mamdani told reporters earlier this week that his team had reached out to the White House to arrange a meeting.

A Mamdani spokesperson said on Wednesday the mayor-elect planned to meet Trump in Washington "to discuss public safety, economic security and the affordability agenda".

During the mayoral election campaign, Trump threatened to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding from the city if Mamdani won.

The US federal government is providing $7.4 billion to New York City in fiscal year 2026, or about 6.4 per cent of the city's total spending, according to a New York State Comptroller report.

Since Mamdani's rise, Trump has incorrectly labelled him as a "communist".

Mamdani made countering the 79-year-old president's actions in the city, especially on immigration, a centerpiece of his successful campaign.

Mamdani will be sworn in as mayor on January 1.

More from International News

  • US immigration agent fatally shoots woman in Minneapolis

    A US immigration agent has shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in her car in Minneapolis on Wednesday during an immigration enforcement surge, according to local and federal officials, the latest violence in President Donald Trump's nationwide crackdown on migrants.

  • Israel strikes Gaza launch site after failed rocket fire

    Israel's military said on Thursday it had carried out a targeted strike on a rocket launch site near Gaza City after identifying a failed launch, as questions mount over when the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire will begin.

  • Russia frees French researcher in prisoner exchange

    Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving a three-year prison sentence in Russia for violating Moscow's foreign agent laws, has been freed as part of a prisoner exchange, French and Russian officials said on Thursday.

  • US seizes another tanker tied to Venezuela as Trump widens oil push

    The US has seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, one sailing under Russia's flag, as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas and force Venezuela's socialist government to become an ally.

Coming Up