The White House is all set to witness a meeting no one expected to happen. President Donald Trump will meet New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on November 21 in the Oval Office, marking the first huddle between the two political foes.
Trump, while repeating his false claim that Zohran Mamdani is a "communist," said on his Truth Social platform that the meeting "will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st."
Mamdani vs Trump
Neither Mamdani nor Trump have pulled punches in the buildup to the NYC elections. Trump called Mamdani a communist candidate and even intentionally misspoke his name. "Mandami, whatever the hell his name is," Trump said recently -- deliberately mispronouncing the Uganda-born politician's surname.
Mamdani has sounded a lot more professional with his replies, at least up until the election was won. "So Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up," he said during his acceptance speech.
So, what changed? Well, its nothing but an age-old custom of an incoming New York mayor meeting the president.
While Trump frequently touts the record-breaking gains on Wall Street during his presidency, Mamdani's view on the economy extends beyond the bullish financial markets in downtown Manhattan to an affordability crisis facing a city of over 8 million people.
The two don't have much in common, and evidently hate each other. The good news is that they have an agenda and already know what they will talk about.
"As is customary for an incoming mayoral administration, the Mayor-elect plans to meet with the President in Washington to discuss public safety, economic security and the affordability agenda that over one million New Yorkers voted for just two weeks ago," Pekec said Wednesday. Immigration too may come up in the high-stakes meeting.
As the first mayoral candidate to surpass the one-million-vote mark in New York since 1969, Mamdani campaigned on pledges of affordable housing and childcare, as well as free rides on city buses and city-run grocery stores.
