The chill between Donald Trump and New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has been real. But now, the pair will meet face-to-face at the White House on Friday. Trump took to Truth Social, writing, “Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran ‘Kwame’ Mamdani, has asked for a meeting. We have agreed that this meeting will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st.”
It’s a surprising turn. Trump had backed Mamdani’s rival in the mayoral race and used harsh language, calling him a “communist” and publicly warning he’d cut off federal funds if Mamdani won. NBC News reports that Mamdani’s team reached out to the White House after the election, saying there was a need for dialogue. Mamdani himself told reporters, “My team reached out to the White House to fulfil a commitment I made to New Yorkers … so long as it would help address the affordability crisis.”
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump will be meeting with NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office on FRIDAY
Hoo boy.
Get your popcorn ready for this one 👀 pic.twitter.com/9QCkyzXHgy
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 20, 2025
Why does this matter? For starters, the meeting is at the Oval Office. This conversation is not taking place in quiet back room. According to the Daily Express US reports, communications expert Mike Fahey said, “For this meeting, the setting matters … it suggests the President may actually want a functional relationship, or at least the appearance of one.” The idea? Maybe Trump wants to show he can reach across the aisle. Mamdani likely wants to deliver for the millions of New Yorkers who voted for change.
Still, don’t expect a full policy breakthrough just yet. Fahey pointed out: “Realistically, very little concrete policy will emerge from this single meeting. But that’s not really the point. … At the end of the day, this meeting will not be about policy.” On the agenda, are items like public safety, economic security and affordability. These are major issues for New York City and major ones for Trump’s national brand.
Mamdani is stepping into office on January 1. He’s young at only 34 years of age, branded as a democratic socialist, and openly criticized Trump’s immigration and big-city policies during his campaign. The Guardian, via Times of India, reports Mamdani said he is open to working with “anyone and everyone if it benefits the city’s 8.5 million residents … and if it’s to the expense of those New Yorkers, I will fight.”
My Transition Co-chair @linamkhan and First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan joined Starbucks workers on the picket line today because making NYC affordable means an end to unfair labor practices and a living wage for our workers. We are their partners in the fight to live in this city… pic.twitter.com/fe0IiFgOX9
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 20, 2025
While Trump’s inviting someone he has heavily criticized into the Oval Office, Mamdani is walking in with cameras and his own agenda. Mamdani needs federal cooperation, while Trump needs to show he’s not abandoning his hometown or his base. Fahey added, “It will ultimately establish whether both leaders can have any working relationship at all.”
In a city and country dominated by what you see, this meeting may be designed partly for optics. As The Mirror alludes, Trump may very well use this opportunity to create a ‘spectacle’ out of Mamdani.
Friday will be an interesting day for American politics. For both Trump and Mamdani the stakes are high. Even if they walk out without signing a thing, the picture of them in the Oval Office together could set a tone for the next years.
