Will he use the red courtesy phone?
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani confirmed Tuesday that he will reach out to President Trump before taking office New Year’s Day, telling NBC New York in an interview that the relationship between City Hall and the White House “will be critical to the success of the city.”
Mamdani, 34, didn’t specify when he would contact the administration, but said he would be “proactive” as he tries to thwart Trump’s hard-line immigration and crime policies.
“[If] President Trump wants to speak about lowering the cost of living or delivering cheaper groceries, like he ran on [in 2024], I’m there to have that conversation,” the mayor-elect said, later adding that he would tell the commander-in-chief: “I’m here to work for the benefit of everyone that calls the city home, and that wherever there is a possibility for working together toward that end, I’m ready, and if [the administration’s policies] are to the expense of those New Yorkers, I will fight.”
Ahead of the Nov. 4 mayoral election, Trump threatened to withhold federal money from NYC and execute a federal takeover if the “Communist” Mamdani was voted in.
In his first comments since the Democratic socialist’s victory, the president slightly softened his tone, saying last week, “I hope it works out for New York” and “we’ll help him a little bit, maybe.”
Mamdani also revealed in Tuesday’s interview that he has consulted with Gov. Kathy Hochul about how to respond to Trump’s occasional threats and frequent public attacks.
