Trump Announces Date for Meeting with His 'Opponent' Zahran Mamdani

SadaNews - U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday via his "Truth Social" platform that he will meet with New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani on Friday in the Oval Office.

Trump wrote, "The communist mayor of New York City, Zahran Mamdani, requested a meeting. We have decided that this meeting will take place in the Oval Office on Friday, November 21."

Mamdani, the socialist who won the New York City mayoralty, expressed on the sixth of this month his readiness to discuss with his biggest opponent, President Trump, regarding the cost of living.

The American Muslim lawmaker, whose rapid rise has astonished observers, joked with journalists during a briefing that "the White House has not reached out to congratulate me."

He added, "I am still interested in having a conversation with President Trump about ways we can work together to serve the residents of New York," pointing to "fulfilling the election promises he made," including tackling the cost of living.

Like Trump, Mamdani placed the high cost of living, the impact of inflation, and rising consumer goods costs at the core of his election campaign, in which he defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Mamdani stated, "I believe the lesson for the president is that it is not enough to diagnose the crisis for the American working class. Solutions must be provided to address that crisis."

This month, Trump considered that the United States has lost "some sovereignty" following Mamdani's victory as New York City mayor.

At that time, Trump said during an economic conference in Miami, Florida: "We lost some sovereignty in New York, but we will address the issue," referring to the elections that brought Mamdani, a Democratic Indian-American and the first Muslim to hold this position in the largest American city.

The U.S. president continued, stating that the country must choose "between communism and common sense," noting that New York "will soon become a refuge for those fleeing communism."

Trump concluded his speech by saying, "Our opponents offer you an economic nightmare, while we are achieving an economic miracle," referring to electoral results that analysts see as punishment for the current administration's policies regarding purchasing power.

Trump made efforts to discourage New Yorkers from voting for Mamdani, but it seems they were insufficient, as was his appeal to Jewish voters to prevent the Muslim candidate from becoming the city's mayor.

Trump also hinted before the election at cutting federal funding to New York if Mamdani, who is considered part of the left wing of the Democratic Party, won.