Zahran Mamdani reveals details of his first meeting with Trump

Mamdani, 34 years old, said that he was “prepared for whatever might happen” in his first meeting with Trump, who is known for berating some of his guests in front of the press during their reception in the Oval Office.

Trump and Zahran Mamdani’s meeting

White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt considered that “a communist’s visit to the White House reflects a lot,” Referring to Mamdani, she stressed at the same time that Trump is “ready to meet and talk to everyone.”

Mamdani is a socialist and an advocate for immigrant rights. He was born in Uganda to an Indian immigrant family, and embodies a strong opposition to the president’s policies.

Mamdani focused his election campaign on the issue of the high cost of living in New York, accusing Trump of giving priority to the wealthy, while he relied on promises to improve the purchasing power of residents. The city.

Zahran Mamdani

Despite Trump’s explicit pre-election support for his main rival, Andrew Cuomo, the former Democratic governor, Mamdani won more than 50% of the vote on November 4, in an election that witnessed record participation of more than two million voters, the highest number since 1969.

Mamdani confirmed that he intends to inform Trump of his readiness to cooperate in any program that benefits New Yorkers, stressing at the same time that he will The first to oppose any policy that harms them. He explained that he is “open to all ways that might make life in our city easier.”

But the meeting is not without risks, according to Columbia University political science professor Lincoln Mitchell, who did not rule out the possibility that the new mayor would be exposed to an embarrassing situation similar to what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faced in the past, adding: “We may see Vice President Jay D. Vance harassing him.”

Security and economic files

He reduced Mamdani, who takes office on January 1, stressed the importance of the meeting, considering it a “routine meeting” between the mayor of New York and the US President, especially after Trump had previously sent the National Guard to several Democratic cities to “enforce security and combat crime.”

However, Mamdani needs to cooperate with the White House, especially on security and economic files, as Garrett Martin, professor of international relations at American University, points out.

After exchanging hostile statements during the campaign, he began A kind of calm appears between the two men; Trump recently confirmed that he wants “things to go well in New York.”

Reassuring critics

As he prepares to take office, Mamdani is working to reassure his critics who doubt his experience, as he previously only served as a representative in the New York State Assembly.

He chose the veteran politician Dean Folihan (74 years old) to be his primary aide, and he also decided to reappoint Jessica Tisch to head the city’s police force due to her good reputation. And its success in reducing crime rates.

Grant Reher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, says that the fact that some senior officials of the previous administration remained in their positions despite Mamdani’s previous criticism of them “indicates that his political revolution will be less severe than expected, despite his adherence to his basic goals.”