During a meeting at the White House on Friday, however, Donald Trump raised more than a few eyebrows when he publicly said that he’d feel comfortable living in New York City under the leadership of incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani — even though he endorsed his opponent and droned on about him being a “communist” during the campaign.
The change in tone followed an Oval Office meeting between the two men during which they discussed housing affordability, utility rates, and public safety, among other topics. Trump described Mamdani as a “reasonable” partner and said he and the mayor-elect “have more areas of agreement than I thought.” “Yes, absolutely,” Trump said when asked whether he would be fine living in New York under Mamdani’s leadership. “I want him to do a great job, and we will help him do a great job.”
In their conversation, both men acknowledged the need to rein in housing costs, reduce expenses such as electricity bills, and make city living more affordable. Mamdani said he and Trump hit it off, talking about how to help middle- and working-class New Yorkers hold the line against rising costs.
The shift is significant for Trump. He had previously threatened to suspend federal funding for New York City if Mamdani took office, but he vowed the opposite on Tuesday. “We expect to be helping him, not hurting him,” he said.
The meeting was a surprise to many of those who watched. Political observers said the meeting was marked by overt friendliness between two men who had been bitter adversaries during the campaign for New York mayor. For the president to live in a city run by a socialist mayor-elect amounts to a tactical change of hailing frequencies, signaling a perhaps surprising clutching together with voters who fret about affordability and reiterate populist economic themes and worries.
For residents of New York City and national political watchers, it is a moment to reflect on how ideological lines can blur when confronted with complex urban problems. Trump’s announcement is likely to be more symbolic than substantive, but it underscores rare and surprising moments of cross-party maneuvering. Whether this will bear fruit in reality or just amount to a strategic facelift is yet to be seen.
In brief: Among his most unexpected public pirouettes, Donald Trump said he’d be happy to live in a city under Zohran Mamdani’s leadership — making for an odd moment of convergence for two political opposites.
