President Donald Trump on Friday praised New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani after their White House meeting, calling it "really good, very productive."
“He really ran an incredible race against a lot of smart people,” Trump said. “I just want to congratulate, I think you’re going to have hopefully a really great mayor.”
Mamdani had requested the meeting to discuss the city’s affordability crisis.
The U.S. president later posted on Truth Social: “It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!”
Affordability Crisis Dominates Discussion
The meeting focused on New York's cost-of-living crisis and its impact on the city's 8.5 million residents.
According to Mamdani, topics discussed included “rent, groceries, utilities” and “the different ways in which people are being pushed out.”
Trump cited declining food prices, stating Walmart (NYSE:WMT) reported Thanksgiving costs were “exactly 25% less than last year.”
See Also: Walmart Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Upbeat Q3 Earnings
Housing Construction Emerges as Common Priority
Both leaders emphasized housing development.
Trump said Mamdani “wants to see houses go up, a lot of apartments built” and noted agreement on lowering rents through increased construction.
The president also raised concerns about Con Edison (NYSE:ED) utility rates despite lower fuel costs.
Political Differences Acknowledged
When asked about his previous remarks describing Trump as a fascist, the mayor-elect stood by the comment but said the meeting "focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many," but on their "shared purpose in serving New Yorkers."
Trump Softens Funding Threat
Asked about his threat to cut federal funding, Trump said he expects “to be helping him, not hurting him.”
Trump had previously threatened to limit federal support if New Yorkers elected Mamdani, who defeated Trump-endorsed independent candidate and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the race.
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