President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met at the Oval Office on November 21, 2025, in a discussion both leaders described as “productive,” highlighting shared priorities on affordability, housing, and the cost-of-living crisis confronting millions of New Yorkers. 

Despite their stark political differences and contentious rhetoric during the campaign, the two leaders emphasized that the meeting focused on areas of common ground and a joint commitment to improving life in the nation’s largest city.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, President Trump said they had a “very productive meeting,” stressing that both he and Mamdani “want this city of ours that we love to do very well.” He praised Mamdani’s path to office, noting that the Mayor-elect ran “an incredible race against a lot of smart people” and ultimately “beat them easily.”

President Trump said their discussion centered on “housing, food prices and the price of oil,” adding that falling oil prices would be “good for New York.” He presented the meeting as the start of a nonpartisan partnership, telling reporters, “The better he does, the happier I am. I will say there’s no difference in party. There’s no difference in anything, and we’re going to be helping him to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York.”

The President also emphasized that he sees similarities in their approaches, remarking, “Some of his ideas really are the same ideas that I have,” particularly around “cost, affordability” and strategies to ease financial pressures on New Yorkers.

Mayor-elect Mamdani echoed that the conversation focused heavily on the cost-of-living crisis affecting the city’s 8.5 million residents. “We focused on affordability. We focused on the cost-of-living crisis,” he said, describing the current moment as urgent for working families.

Mamdani said he raised the need for significant tax reform, arguing that the system in New York City is so “inequitable” that it “can’t even stand up in court.” He added that he and the President discussed both increasing housing supply and ensuring that housing regulations remain “manageable.”

He characterized the meeting as rooted in “shared admiration and love” for New York City, saying, “We spoke about rent, we spoke about groceries, we spoke about utilities, we spoke about the different ways in which people are being pushed out.” Mamdani said he appreciated the time and the tone of the discussion and looked forward to working together “to deliver that affordability.”

The meeting also prompted questions about the heated exchanges during the campaign in which the President referred to Mamdani as a “Communist,” and Mamdani called the President a “despot” and accused him of having a “fascist agenda.”

When asked about his past comments, President Trump responded, “I mean, he’s got views a little out there. But who knows. I mean, we’re going to see what works. He’s going to change also. We all change.” He added that he believed Mamdani could “surprise some conservative people” and already appealed to “liberal people because they already like him.”

Mamdani, for his part, said the meeting was not focused on past disagreements. “I think both President Trump and I, we are very clear about our positions and our views, and what I really appreciate about the President is the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers.”

President Trump also waved off the issue of being called a “despot,” telling reporters, “I have been called much worse than a despot. So, it’s not that insulting.”

The two leaders also addressed issues around public safety and immigration enforcement. Trump has previously threatened to send ICE agents and National Guard forces to New York City. Asked about this, the President said, “Ultimately, a safe New York is going to be a great New York. So we’re going to work together. We’re going to make sure that if there are horrible people there, we want to get them out. I think he wants to get them out, maybe more than I do.”

Mamdani stated that affordability and safety must be pursued simultaneously and fairly.

Mamdani reflected on how he won the mayoral race, saying the driving force of his campaign was the “cost-of-living crisis.” He said many New Yorkers, including those who voted for President Trump in large numbers during the presidential election, pointed to the same issues: rising grocery bills, rent increases, utility costs, and childcare. He argued that elected officials often “lecture” New Yorkers about what to care about instead of “listen,” and he intends to change that dynamic as mayor.

Given the alignment on affordability, Mamdani said he is “really looking forward to delivering for New Yorkers about the cost-of-living crisis in partnership with the President.”

Asked whether he would feel comfortable living in New York City with Mamdani as mayor, President Trump said, “I will. Especially after the meeting. Absolutely.” He added, “We agree on a lot more than I would have thought. I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help him do a great job.”

The leaders also discussed foreign policy, including Middle East peace. Mamdani said he feels “very strongly about peace in the Middle East,” noting that many New Yorkers who supported President Trump cited their desire to end “forever wars,” reduce the use of taxpayer dollars in overseas conflicts, and refocus government attention on domestic affordability.

He said these issues emerged repeatedly during conversations with voters and remain central to his agenda.

“We’re going to be helping him to make everybody’s dream come true,” the President said. Mamdani added that the goal now is to “lift those New Yorkers out of struggle and start to deliver them a city that they could do more than just struggle to afford.”

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