Trump and Mamdani set to meet for first time at the White House

J.C. Polanco, a political analyst and professor at Mt. Saint Vincent University , says the federal government controls $10 billion in funds that Mamdani is going to need to enact his ambitious agenda. 

“This is a very consequential meeting,” Polanco said.

“New York City took a big leap of faith with Mayor-elect Mamdani. He’s an assemblymember, representing about 125,000 people. Now he’s about to assume the important role of CEO of New York City government, and to be our chief negotiator in the federal government,” he continued. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Mayor-elect Mamdani to show the world that he’s ready to sit down with the president and represent our interests.”

So will the two be able to overcome their differences to help New York?

“It depends which Mayor-elect Mamdani and which President Trump show up. If it’s the President Trump of February, where he treated President Zelenskyy in that manner, I think it’s going to be just a complete disaster today. But if it’s the President Trump that wants to work, that wants to see who this new guy is, we may have a good meeting,” Polanco said. “It’s important for Mayor-elect Mamdani to stay agile, because he doesn’t know who’s coming. And is it the Mayor-elect Mamdani from the campaign, that happy warrior that was smiling and wanted to work together with everyone? Or is it going to be the Mayor-elect Mamdani of election night, where he told President Trump, turn the volume up, I ain’t playing with you.” 

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The press office for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed to CBS News New York that the mayor-elect and governor spoke prior to Friday’s meeting with Mr. Trump. 

Hochul’s office did not offer details about what the two discussed, but the governor has long pursued a relationship with Mr. Trump on a number of key issues, including the Gateway Project and the possible deployment of the National Guard to the Big Apple.

The outcome of the meeting could be hugely consequential for the future of New York City. There’s a lot on the line, from funding for infrastructure projects to setting parameters around immigration enforcement.

On Oct. 1, the first day of the government shutdown, the White House froze $18 billion in funding for a pair of New York infrastructure projects: the Gateway Tunnel and the Second Avenue Subway. The president later said the Gateway Tunnel project was “terminated,” but the ultimate status of the funding remains unclear.

The White House has also indicated it is planning to ramp up immigration enforcement in New York. Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said last week that the administration is “increasing enforcement presence in New York City again because they’re a sanctuary city, and we know we have an issue.” A Mamdani spokesperson said that the mayor-elect “remains steadfast in his commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of every single New Yorker and upholding our sanctuary laws.”

Perhaps most importantly, Mamdani needs federal security clearance to be briefed on terror threats and other law enforcement activity, a process that the president could help speed along.

In an interview with Fox News Radio on Friday morning, the president said he expects the meeting to be “quite civil” and that he and the incoming mayor will “get along fine.”

“He’s got a different philosophy, he’s a little bit different. I give him a lot of credit for the run. He did a successful run, and we all know that runs are not easy,” Mr. Trump said. “But I think we’ll get along fine. Look, we’re looking for the same thing — we want to make New York strong, and, you know, there’s such a different philosophy.”

He added: “He was very nice in calling, as you know. And we’re going to have a meeting. I guess we meet at 3 o’clock today. And I think it’s going to be quite civil. We’ll find out.”

Hours before Mamdani’s meeting with Mr. Trump, the House passed a resolution “denouncing the horrors of socialism.” It was a broadly bipartisan vote, 285-98, with 86 Democrats joining 199 Republicans in voting for the resolution. Ninety-eight Democrats opposed the resolution, and two voted “present.” No Republicans voted against it.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican of Louisiana, said in response to a question about the upcoming meeting, “It’s going to be exciting,” and he called it “a happy coincidence that we just voted on a socialism resolution” in the House. 

“There’s a big, widening chasm between the two parties with regard to this idea of big government control of everybody’s lives and Marxism,” and he again said it was “a happy coincidence that it coincides with the Marxist mayor’s meeting at White House.”

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York says she “chatted very briefly” with Mamdani this morning. She said he’s also spoken with many of the members of the New York City delegation and noted his promise to talk to anyone about the city’s affordability issues.

“Mayor-elect Mamdani has made clear that he will meet with anyone and everyone to tackle New York City’s affordability crisis,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters at the Capitol. “So, I look forward to seeing what the president, you know, has to say about that.”

Jaala Brown and Patrick Maguire

The president has called Mamdani “my little communist mayor.” Mamdani has vowed to “Trump-proof” New York City.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, doesn’t have much in common politically with the Republican president. But he called the meeting “an opportunity to make the case for New Yorkers” and said he plans to discuss economic security and public safety. 

“I’ll be ready for whatever happens,” Mamdani said. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that “President Trump is willing to meet with anyone and talk to anyone and to try to do what’s right on behalf of the American people.”

Mamdani used similar language, saying his team reached out to set up the meeting “because I will work with anyone to make life more affordable for the more than 8.5 million people who call this city home.”

But often, their words for each other have been more combative.

Mr. Trump, who grew up in Queens and built his business career in New York City, has decried the incoming mayor as “a communist lunatic.” Mamdani has blasted the president’s immigration raids and economic policies.

Read more here about what the two men have said about each other.

Mamdani kept his public comments Friday ahead of the meeting to a minimum. 

Instead, he posted a photo on X in the morning showing him smiling, with a plane emoji as the caption, as he headed to Washington for the meeting with Mr. Trump:

At a press conference on Thursday, the mayor-elect told reporters that he plans to highlight the issue of affordability during his meeting with the president. 

“I will be heading to Washington, D.C., tomorrow to meet with President Trump at the White House. It is customary for the mayor of this city to meet with the White House, given their mutual reliance,” Mamdani said. “It is more critical than ever, given the national crisis of affordability — one that New Yorkers know very well across these five boroughs — and the specific challenge many cities are facing with balancing public safety against steps taken by this administration.”

The mayor-elect said his team reached out to set up the meeting, “because I will work with anyone to make life more affordable for the more than 8.5 million people who call this city home.”

As for potential disagreements?

“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,” he continued. “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 so.”

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