Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images

Throughout the mayoral race, President Donald Trump frequently voiced his strong opposition to Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy, threatening to withhold federal funding from the city if he won and going as far as to endorse the Democratic nominee’s main opponent, former governor Andrew Cuomo. But on Sunday, Trump appeared to express at least some openness toward the mayor-elect, suggesting the two men could meet at some point in the near future while the White House press secretary clarified that no date had been set, per the Associated Press.

“The mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us and we’ll work something out. He would like to come to Washington and meet,” Trump said. “We want to see everything work out well for New York.”

Trump’s comment also comes amid a renewed focus by him and his administration on affordability following Democrats’ sweeping nationwide victories on Election Day.

The dynamic between Mamdani and Trump has long been tense with the mayor-elect linking his message about affordability to the president’s handling of the economy and with Mamdani promising to combat Trump’s administration’s targeted actions against the city. In turn, Trump has incorrectly denounced the democratic socialist as a “communist,” threatened a federal takeover of the city, and signaled Mamdani could be subject to arrest if he intervenes with federal immigration actions. In his victory speech, the mayor-elect signaled that standing in Trump’s way and protecting the city’s immigrants will be a priority of his administration.

“New York will remain a city of immigrants: a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant,” he said. “So hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.”

During an appearance on Fox News in October, Mamdani made his most public overture to Trump yet, speaking directly to the camera to tell the president he is willing to work with the administration for the betterment of the city. “I will not be a mayor like Mayor Adams, who will call you to figure out how to stay out of jail. I won’t be a disgraced governor like Andrew Cuomo, who will call you to ask how to win this election. I can do those things on my own. I will, however, be a mayor who is ready to speak at any time to lower the cost of living. That’s the way that I’m going to lead this city,” he said. “That’s the way the partnership I want to build not only with Washington, D.C., but with anyone across this country.”

The first potential test of Mamdani’s relationship with Trump is on the horizon. As noted by Politico, the federal government will have to grant the mayor-elect a security clearance prior to being sworn in to office. But throughout his second term Trump has weaponized the process, revoking the clearances for some of his most prominent political foes including state attorney general Letitia James, former secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, and former Wyoming representative Liz Cheney.

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