Trump Now Says He’s Open to Meeting With Zohran Mamdani: ‘We’ll Work Something Out’
President Donald Trump indicated that he would be open to a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, telling reporters on Sunday that his administration “want[s] to see everything work out well for New York.”
The president answered questions from reporters before boarding Air Force One on his way back to Washington on Sunday night. His comment about Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist who Trump has continuously attacked, came after a question about Tucker Carlson’s controversial interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
“What role do you think Tucker Carlson should play in the Republican Party and the conservative movement?” asked a reporter, referencing the interview.
“Well, I found him to be good,” Trump said of Carlson. “I mean, he said good things about me over the years … I mean, if he wants to interview Nick Fuentes, I don’t know much about him, but if he wants to do it, get the word out. Let him. You know, people have to decide. Ultimately, people have to decide.”
After a tense exchange with a reporter, Trump moved on to discuss Mamdani, striking a markedly different tone than his past comments about the soon-to-be mayor.
“The mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us and we’ll work something out,” said Trump. “But he would like to come to Washington and meet and we’ll work something out. We want to see everything work out well for New York.”
Mamdani told NBC New York on Tuesday that he would reach out to the President.
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“I will be reaching out to the White House as we prepare to actually take office because this is a relationship that will be critical to the success of the city,” the Mayor-elect said.
Both men have repeatedly attacked one another, with Mamdani calling himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare” during a mayoral debate.
Trump, for his part, vowed to arrest Mamdani in July if the future mayor followed through on his pledge to kick ICE out of New York City. He has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, calling him a “total nutjob” and threatening to withhold funds from the city if the new mayor doesn’t “do the right thing” while in office.
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