Arab News | Trump and Mamdani plan to meet in New York during the president’s upcoming UN visit

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump will meet with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani when Trump travels to the city for the upcoming UN General Assembly.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday and at Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, according to Anna Bahr, Mamdani’s communications director.

Bahr said the two will discuss issues affecting the city and New Yorkers. The White House confirmed the meeting will take place but did not offer more details.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who upset former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary before winning the general election in November, has been a favorite and frequent political foil for Republicans.

But Trump has often been warm to Mamdani and seemed charmed by the young mayor. Their first meeting after Mamdani’s election was quite cordial, with Trump saying at the White House that the then-mayor-elect would “surprise some conservative people.” The Republican president had called Mamdani a “100 percent Communist Lunatic” during the 2025 campaign.

During a February meeting, Mamdani gave Trump a mock New York Daily News front page that said “Trump to City: Let’s Build.” That was riff on the famous front-page headline from 1975, ” FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD,” referring to President Gerald Ford’s promise to veto financial assistance to the city.

Mamdani’s aides said at the time that it was meant to show Trump the reaction and support that new federal investments in housing could have in the city.