In a significant political development, former President Donald Trump has confirmed he will meet with New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office this Friday, setting the stage for a face-to-face encounter between two figures who have publicly clashed for months.
From Political Sparring to Oval Office Discussion
The announcement came via Trump's social media platform, where he revealed the Washington meeting would take place on Friday. Notably, Trump referred to Mamdani using his full name, placing the mayor-elect's middle name 'Kwame' in quotation marks, and claimed Mamdani had requested the encounter.
Mamdani's spokesperson, Dora Pekec, described the meeting as "customary" for an incoming New York City mayor and confirmed the discussion would focus on public safety, economic security and the affordability agenda that secured over one million votes for Mamdani just two weeks ago.
A Contentious Relationship Takes New Turn
The scheduled sit-down represents a potential thaw in relations between the Republican former president and the Democratic socialist rising star. Trump has repeatedly criticised Mamdani, falsely labelling him a "communist" and predicting New York's ruin under his leadership.
In particularly aggressive rhetoric, Trump had previously threatened to deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a naturalised American citizen in 2018, and to pull federal funding from New York City.
Political Shifts Following Election Results
The move toward dialogue comes after Republican losses in several state elections during November, including defeats in Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York. Following these results, Trump has notably begun embracing affordability as a key talking point - an issue that had been central to Democratic campaigns.
Last week, Trump declared on social media that Republicans were now the "Party of Affordability!" This shift occurs as the former president and his allies continue to insist the American economy has never been stronger.
Trump told reporters on Sunday evening that he planned to meet with Mamdani, suggesting "we'll work something out." Mamdani, who officially takes office in January, confirmed on Monday that his team had reached out to arrange a possible meeting.
During his victory speech earlier this month, the 34-year-old Mamdani - who rapidly rose from an obscure state lawmaker representing Queens to mayor-elect of America's largest city - expressed his intention for New York to demonstrate to the nation how to defeat the former president.
Mamdani has also spoken about "Trump-proofing" New York once he assumes office in January, while simultaneously promising to collaborate with anyone, including the president, if it benefits New York residents.
