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Trump, Mamdani meeting: Morgan McKay on what to expect
The long-awaited meeting between President Donald Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is expected on Friday. FOX 5 NY's Morgan McKay has a preview from Washington, D.C.
NEW YORK - A long-awaited meeting between President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is expected on Friday in Washington.
It’s the first face-to-face between the two polar politicians since Mamdani’s election victory.
Trump and Mamdani meeting on Friday
What we know:
Trump said Wednesday on social media that the sit-down would take place in the Oval Office.
The two are expected to discuss the city’s affordability crisis, public safety, and economic security.
The meeting will take place at 3 p.m. ET and will currently be closed to the press. Despite Trump's daily schedule saying it would be private, the president often invites in a small "pool" of reporters at the last minute.
What they're saying:
On Friday, Trump, in a Fox News Radio interview Friday morning, said he expected the meeting will be "quite civil."
"I think we’ll get along fine," he said. "Look, we’re looking for the same thing. We want to make New York strong."
He said the mayor-elect has "a different philosophy" but said he gives him "a lot of credit" for his campaign and said, "He ran a good race."
Trump, when asked about some of Mamdani’s comments challenging him directly, said, "I’m a little hard, too, in all fairness."
Meanwhile, Mamdani said Thursday that he’s "not concerned" his upcoming meeting with Trump could be a political trap, vowing instead to center the meeting on how they could work to make the city more affordable.
At a news conference outside New York City Hall, the 34-year-old democratic socialist said he hopes to "share the facts about the affordability crisis in the city" while waving off the idea that the president could use the meeting to embarrass him.
"I have many disagreements with the president, and I believe that we should be relentless and pursue all avenues and all meetings that can make our city affordable for every single New Yorker," he said.
A senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions said Trump had not put a lot of thought into planning the meeting with the incoming mayor — but said Trump’s threats to block federal dollars from flowing to New York remained on the table.
Mamdani wins mayoral race
The backstory:
Earlier this month, Mamdani won a stunning victory in New York City's mayoral race with a campaign heavily focused on the city's affordability crisis, promising to turn the power of government toward helping the working class while also fighting back against a hostile Trump administration.
FILE_Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate, during an election night event at The Brooklyn Paramount Theater in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump has railed against Mamdani for months, warning that his hometown would slide into chaos under the young progressive's leadership and suggested he would withhold federal money from the city if Mamdani won.
Mamdani will take office as mayor next year, succeeding current Mayor Eric Adams, who has been traveling abroad and posted a picture on X Thursday morning of himself alongside an Uzbek official.
The Source: This article is based on information from The Associated Press and previous reporting from FOX 5 NY. This story was reported from Los Angeles.