 "New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York. AFP")
A day after US President Donald Trump said he was open to meet the Mayor-elect of New York City, Zohran Mamdani on Monday said that he has reached out to the White House to seek a meeting.
During the election campaign, Mamdani and Trump had exchanged sharp barbs. Trump had labelled Mamdani a “100 per cent communist lunatic” and had endorsed his rival, former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani said the outreach to the White House was part of his commitment to “address the affordability crisis” in New York, according to The New York Times.
Previously, Trump said on Sunday, “The Mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us and we’ll work something out. We want to see everything work out well for New York.”
The Mamdani-Trump meeting —if it takes place— will happen at a time when New York’s officials are concerned that Trump could send military to the city as part of his crackdown on immigrants and critics. He has so far deployed troops in Los Angeles, Portland, Washington DC, etc.
Mamdani to focus on affordability
In his meeting with Trump, Mamdani is expected to discuss Trump’s to revolve around New York’s affordability crisis.
Mamdani has said that affordability crisis —which Trump had also spoken about— was a possible common group between him and Trump.
He has said that if the president were willing to find common ground on the issue, he would be willing to work with him. But he has also expressed doubt that the president has any such intentions. But he has no delusions.
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View AllIrrespective of Trump’s words, his actions have raised prices said. Mamdani.
“The president ran a campaign where he spoke about a promise to deliver cheaper groceries, a promise to reduce the cost of living. We are seeing his actions and that of his administration in Washington leading to the exact opposite effect for New Yorkers,” said Mamdani.