After months of trading attacks, President Trump and Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, will meet on Friday at the White House.
The outcome of their meeting — and their relationship in the coming months — could be hugely consequential for the nation’s largest city, and the dynamics are complicated.
Mr. Mamdani, 34, has been known to disarm high-powered skeptics with charm and a willingness to listen and engage. But if he treats Mr. Trump with kid gloves, Mr. Mamdani’s backers may feel that he has betrayed his progressive roots.
Mr. Trump faces a similar conundrum. He has spent months belittling Mr. Mamdani, falsely calling him a communist, threatening to arrest him and warning that he would bring ruin to New York City.
He views Mr. Mamdani as a liability for Democrats in the midterm elections next year, and would not seem to be motivated to do anything that might help him — he even gave Mr. Mamdani’s chief primary rival, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, his endorsement on the eve of Election Day. At the same time, it is unlikely that the president wishes to be seen as contributing to the city’s decline.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said on Thursday “it speaks volumes” that a “communist” was going to the White House. (Mr. Mamdani is a democratic socialist.)
“It speaks to the fact that President Trump is willing to meet with anyone and talk to anyone and to try to do what’s right on behalf of the American people whether they live in blue states or red states or blue cities — in a city that’s becoming much more left than I think this president ever anticipated in his many years of living in New York,” she said.
White House officials did not say whether journalists will be allowed into the Oval Office for any part of the meeting, and neither side would say what was to be discussed. There is no shortage of potential topics, including Mr. Trump’s previous threats to send the National Guard into the city and to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding.
The two politicians have things in common. Both have ties to Queens, loyal followings and a powerful social media presence. And in private, Mr. Trump has described Mr. Mamdani as a talented politician.
Mr. Mamdani sought to play down the potential for conflict and called the meeting “customary” at a news conference at City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan on Thursday. He argued that many New Yorkers who supported both him and Mr. Trump did so for the same reasons.
“I know that for tens of thousands of New Yorkers, this meeting is between two very different candidates who they voted for, for the same reason,” Mr. Mamdani said. “They wanted a leader who would take on the cost-of-living crisis that makes it impossible for working people to afford living in the city.”
In announcing the meeting, Mr. Trump appeared to mock Mr. Mamdani’s middle name, Kwame, by placing it in quotations. Mr. Mamdani said he was not concerned about the president’s tone.
“I’ll be ready for whatever happens,” he said.
Indeed, Mr. Mamdani has solicited advice as part of fairly extensive preparations for the meeting. On Thursday, Mr. Mamdani joined a video call with Robert Wolf, a former chief executive of the bank UBS Americas and an ally of former President Barack Obama. Mr. Wolf posted on social media that they discussed economic trends, adding that he was “confident he’ll speak on behalf of NYC and the key affordability issues negatively impacting it.”
Mr. Mamdani also planned to speak with Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senator Chuck Schumer, Representative Hakeem Jeffries and the Rev. Al Sharpton on Thursday. Patrick Gaspard, a Mamdani adviser, said the level of groundwork was critical for a meeting that he characterized as “absolutely essential” for the future of the city.
“This is not about scoring points in the face-to-face with Trump,” said Mr. Gaspard, who helped to broker the meeting.
Mr. Gaspard said that Mr. Mamdani would not shy away from voicing “his objections to the Trump agenda,” and would speak to the president with a “moral clarity” around those issues.
He added that Mr. Mamdani could withstand any insults, past or future, from the president, noting that Mr. Trump has ridiculed others before finding common ground.
Representative Nicole Malliotakis, New York City’s lone Republican member in Congress, said she spoke with Mr. Trump last weekend to express concerns about Mr. Mamdani’s agenda but also to ask the president to spare the city from cuts to critical infrastructure.
She said she would advise Mr. Mamdani to be respectful during the meeting and attempt to find areas of agreement, noting that Ms. Hochul has been able to work with the president despite moments of outward hostility.
“There’s certainly a path here to work together while also standing our ground and pushing back against some of the more radical, left-wing proposals that he has put forward,” she said.
Those who have met President Trump often describe his mercurial nature.
“He can be very charming or he can very rude — or he can be both in the same sitting,” said Bill de Blasio, the former mayor who met with Mr. Trump for an hour at Trump Tower in 2016 shortly after the president was elected. He added that “the important thing is to be self-possessed and to go in with a clear agenda and stick with it regardless of the noise.”
But those who know both Mr. Mamdani and Mr. Trump say the president may be charmed at some level.
Joseph Borelli, a Republican former city councilman who knows both men, predicted that Mr. Trump would be “surprised with how pleasant and charming Mamdani can be.”
“Hopefully, Trump uses his ability to develop relationships with people he’s at odds with to cut through the disagreements,” he added.
Kathryn S. Wylde, the head of a major business group in New York, frequently clashed with Mr. de Blasio, the last progressive mayor. After getting to know Mr. Mamdani, she voted for him in the general election and had simple advice for the meeting.
“My advice would be to listen and nod,” she said.
John Catsimatidis, the billionaire grocer who is friendly with Mr. Trump, said he hoped the meeting would be productive, even as he characterized Mr. Mamdani as a “kid who doesn’t know much.”
“You know, Donald Trump is Donald Trump. He’s going to do whatever he wants,” Mr. Catsimatidis said. “But he doesn’t want the city to go downhill.”
Tyler Pager contributed reporting from Washington.
Emma G. Fitzsimmons is the City Hall bureau chief for The Times, covering Mayor Eric Adams and his administration.
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