New York City’s incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday that he plans to contact President Trump before his Jan. 1 inauguration.
The 34-year-old mayor-elect told NBC New York the relationship between City Hall and the White House “will be critical to the success of the city.”
Mamdani did not provide a specific timeline for when he would make contact with the Trump administration. However, he emphasized he would take a “proactive” approach as he prepares to counter what he views as the president’s hard-line immigration and crime policies.
The mayor-elect outlined his strategy for engaging with Trump.
“[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,” Mamdani stated during the interview.
He added that he would communicate a clear message to 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,” the mayor-elect said.
The announcement comes after a contentious election cycle marked by unprecedented presidential intervention in local politics.
Before the Nov. 4 mayoral election, Trump issued stark warnings about a potential Mamdani victory. The president threatened to withhold federal funding from New York City if voters elected the democratic socialist candidate. Trump went further, stating he would execute a federal takeover of the city if the “communist” Mamdani won the race.
Following Mamdani’s victory at the polls, Trump’s rhetoric appeared to moderate slightly. The president commented last week on the election results with a more measured tone.
“I hope it works out for New York” and “we’ll help him a little bit, maybe,” Trump said in his first public remarks since the democratic socialist’s win, according to the New York Post.
Mamdani disclosed during Tuesday’s interview that he has been seeking guidance from state officials on how to navigate his relationship with the Trump administration.
The mayor-elect also revealed he has consulted with Gov. Kathy Hochul about responding to the president’s threats and public criticisms.
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Mamdani recently appointed Elle Bisgaard-Church, a behind-the-scenes operative largely credited to helping the now mayor-elect craft his political platform, to chief of staff.
“Few have played a more central role in this movement, or in every victory we have achieved together in the Assembly, than Elle,” Mamdani said during the announcement.
Bisgaard-Church, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialists of America member, helped strengthen Mamdani’s relationship with the organization.
She played a key role in crafting the DSA’s 2021 guiding document that outlined how the group would work with elected officials.
Political consultant Alyssa Cass, a partner at Slingshot Strategies, praised Bisgaard-Church’s campaign management skills. “She ran a hyper-disciplined campaign that showed a deep understanding of New York City and the pulse of the New York electorate,” Cass said.
“I think that’s a huge asset going into City Hall.”
