Trump open to meeting Zohran Mamdani, says he’ll ‘work something out’

While Mamdani vowed on election night to show the country “how to defeat the president,” he also said he would work with anyone, including Trump, if it benefited New Yorkers.

President Donald Trump signaled on Sunday that he’s open to meeting New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, suggesting the two could “work something out” despite months of sharp political attacks.

Trump has repeatedly targeted Mamdani on the campaign trail, branding the democratic socialist a “communist,” warning of New York’s collapse if he won, and even threatening to deport him despite Mamdani being a naturalised U.S. citizen born in Uganda.

Mamdani, 34, surged from relative obscurity to become a progressive star, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo by nearly nine points and mobilising a broad coalition with a platform squarely opposed to Trump’s second-term agenda.

While Mamdani vowed on election night to show the country “how to defeat the president,” he also said he would work with anyone, including Trump, if it benefited New Yorkers. His team on Sunday pointed back to those earlier comments, noting that the mayor-elect intends to engage the White House, given the importance of the relationship.

Trump struck a similar tone before departing Florida. “The mayor of New York would like to meet with us. We’ll work something out,” he said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed he was referring to Mamdani, adding that no meeting date has been set.

“We want to see everything work out well for New York,” Trump said.

He also indicated the U.S. may soon hold talks with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro amid rising military tensions, adding, “I’ll talk to anybody.”