Trump-Mamdani live updates as new NYC mayor, president meet at White House

JC Polanco, a political analyst and professor at the University of Mount Vincent, says the federal government controls $10 billion in funds that Mamdani will need to implement his ambitious agenda.

“This is a very important meeting,” Polanco said.

“New York City has taken a great leap of faith in Mayor-elect Mamdani. He is a member of the Assembly, representing approximately 125,000 people. He is now poised to take on the important role of CEO of New York City government and our chief negotiator in the federal government,” he continued. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Mayor-elect Mamdani to show the world that he is willing to sit down with the president and represent our interests.”

So, will the two be able to overcome their differences to help New York?

“It depends which mayor-elect Mamdani and which President Trump will show up. If it’s President Trump from February, where he treated President Zelensky this way I think it will just be a complete disaster today. But if it’s President Trump who wants to work, who wants to see who this new guy is, we could have a good meeting,” Polanco said. “It’s important that Mayor-elect Mamdani stays nimble, because he doesn’t know who’s coming. And is it the elected mayor Mamdani of the countryside, this happy warrior who smiled and wanted to work with everyone? Or will it be Mayor-elect Mamdani on election night, where he told President Trump: Turn up the volume, I’m not playing games with you. »

Learn more here.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s press office confirmed to CBS News New York that the mayor-elect and the governor spoke before Friday’s meeting with Mr. Trump.

Hochul’s office did not provide details of the discussions between the two men, but the governor has long enjoyed a relationship with Mr. Trump on a number of key issues, including the gateway project And the possible deployment of the National Guard towards the Big Apple.

The outcome of the meeting could have enormous consequences for the future of New York City. There is a lot at stake, financing of infrastructure projects to define parameters around the application of immigration laws.

On October 1, the first day of the government shutdown, the White House frozen 18 billion dollars in financing for two infrastructure projects in New York: the Gateway Tunnel and the Second Avenue Subway. The president later said the Gateway Tunnel project was “finished“, but the final status of funding remains uncertain.

The White House also indicated that it was considering strengthening immigration controls in New York. Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said last week that the administration is “again increasing the police presence in New York because it’s a sanctuary city, and we know we have a problem.” A spokesperson for Mamdani said the mayor-elect “remains steadfast in his commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of every New Yorker and upholding our sanctuary laws.”

Perhaps most importantly, Mamdani needs a federal security clearance to learn about terrorist threats and other law enforcement activities, a process the president could help speed up.

In an interview Friday morning with Fox News Radio, the president said he expects the meeting to be “pretty civil” and that he and the new mayor “will get along well.”

“He has a different philosophy, he’s a little different. I give him a lot of credit for his race. He had a successful race, and we all know races aren’t easy,” Mr. Trump said. “But I think we’ll get along well. Look, we’re looking for the same thing: We want to make New York strong and, you know, there’s such a different philosophy.”

He added: “He was very kind in calling, as you know. And we’re going to have a meeting. I guess we’ll meet at 3 p.m. today. And I think that will be quite civil. We’ll find out.”

Hours before Mamdani’s meeting with Mr. Trump, the House passed a resolution “denouncing the horrors of socialism.” It was a largely bipartisan vote, 285 to 98, with 86 Democrats joining 199 Republicans in voting in favor of the resolution. Ninety-eight Democrats opposed the resolution and two voted “present.” No Republicans voted against it.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said in response to a question about the upcoming meeting, “It’s going to be exciting,” and he called it “a happy coincidence that we just passed a resolution on socialism” in the House.

“There is a big and growing gulf between the two parties when it comes to this idea of ​​big government control over everyone’s lives and Marxism,” and he again said it was “a happy coincidence that this coincides with the Marxist mayor’s meeting at the White House.”

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said she “chatted very briefly” with Mamdani this morning. She said he also spoke with many members of the New York City delegation and highlighted his promise to talk to anyone about the city’s affordability issues.

“Mayor-elect Mamdani has made it clear that he will meet with everyone to address the affordability crisis in New York,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters at the Capitol. “So I’m looking forward to seeing what the president, you know, has to say about this.”

Jaala Brown and Patrick Maguire

The president called Mamdani “my little communist mayor.” Mamdani vowed to “test” New York City.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has little in common politically with the Republican president. But he called the meeting “an opportunity to make the case for New Yorkers” and said he planned to discuss economic security and public safety.

“I will be ready for any eventuality,” Mamdani said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that “President Trump is willing to meet with anyone, talk to anyone and try to do what’s right on behalf of the American people.”

Mamdani used similar language, saying his team reached out to set up the meeting “because I will work with anyone to make life more affordable for the more than 8.5 million people who call this city home.”

But often, their words were more combative.

Mr. Trump, who grew up in Queens and built his business career in New York, called the new mayor a “crazy communist.” Mamdani blasted the president’s immigration raids and economic policies.

Learn more here on what the two men said to each other.

Mamdani kept his public comments to a minimum Friday before the meeting.

Instead, he posted a photo on X in the morning showing him smiling, with an airplane emoji in the caption, as he headed to Washington for the meeting with Mr Trump:

At a news conference Thursday, the mayor-elect told reporters he plans to emphasize the issue of affordability during his meeting with the president.

“I will travel to Washington tomorrow to meet with President Trump at the White House. It is customary for the mayor of this city to meet with the White House, given their mutual trust,” Mamdani said. “This is more critical than ever, given the national affordability crisis – a crisis that New Yorkers know all too well in these five boroughs – and the specific challenge many cities face in balancing public safety with the actions taken by this administration.”

The mayor-elect said his team organized the meeting, “because I will work with anyone to make life more affordable for the more than 8.5 million people who call this city home.”

As for potential disagreements?

“I have many disagreements with the president, and I believe we must be relentless and pursue every avenue and every meeting that could make our city affordable for every New Yorker,” he continued. “I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work with him on any program that benefits New Yorkers. If a program harms New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say so.”

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