1m ago
Trump said he would “absolutely” live in New York under Mamdani
A reporter asked the president if he would “feel comfortable living in New York City under a Mamdani administration.”
“Yeah, I would, I really would. Especially after the meeting, absolutely.” Mr. Trump said. “We agree on a lot more than I would have thought. I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help him do a great job. You know, he might have different views, but in many ways — you know, we were discussing, when Bernie Sanders was out of the race, I picked up a lot of his votes, and people had no idea, because he was strong on not getting ripped off on trade and lots of things that I’ve practiced and been very successful on.”
2m ago
Trump on differences over ICE: “I think we’re going to work them out”
The president was asked about deploying ICE agents in New York City, and the differences the two may have on that matter. Mr. Trump said the two spoke about that issue arguably longer than any other topic.
So what about those differences?
“Well, I think we’re going to work them out. I think if we have known murderers, and known drug dealers, and some very bad people, we want to get them out,” Mr. Trump said. “He wants to have a safe New York. Ultimately, a safe New York is going to be a great New York.”
4m ago
Trump says “some of his ideas are really the same ideas I have”
After months of name-calling, Mr. Trump said he actually agrees with Mamdani on some ideas.
“You know, we had some interesting conversation, and some of his ideas are really the same ideas that I have. But a big thing on cost. You know, the new word is ‘affordability.’ Another word is just ‘groceries.’ It’s sort of an old-fashioned word but it’s very accurate. And they’re coming down,” the president said.
He said the meeting with Mamdani “actually surprised me.”
“He wants to see no crime, he wants to see housing being built, he wants to see rents coming down – all things that I agree with,” the president said.
13m ago
Mamdani fields question on calling Trump a “despot”
A reporter asked Mamdani about his previous comments in which he called the president a “despot.” The mayor-elect said the two were focused on where they could find common ground.
“I think both President Trump and I, we are both very clear about our positions and our views, and what I really appreciate about the president is that the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose we have in serving New Yorkers. And frankly that is something that could transform the lives of the 8.5 million who are currently struggling under a cost of living crisis,” Mamdani said.
Mr. Trump joked that he had “been called much worse than a despot, so it’s not that insulting.”
Moments later, Mamdani was pressed on whether he thinks the president is a “fascist.” But before Mamdani could substantially answer, the president interjected.
“That’s OK, you can just say yes, OK? It’s easier. It’s easier than explaining it, I don’t mind,” the president said. Mamdani smiled.
19m ago
Trump says he’s “very confident” Mamdani can do a good job
Still seated alongside a standing Mamdani, Mr. Trump said “he’s got views that are a little out there,” but added that everyone changes. Mr. Trump said he has also changed since first becoming president in 2017: “I can tell you, some of my views have changed.”
The president said he thinks Mamdani will “surprise” some conservatives with his decisions.
“I feel very confident that he can do a very good job,” the president continued. “I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually.”
23m ago
Mamdani says meeting was “productive”
Mamdani said the meeting was “productive” and that the two discussed issues of affordability in New York, the main pillar of his campaign.
“I appreciated the meeting with the president, and as he said it was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, New York City,” Mamdani said. “We spoke about rent, we spoke about groceries, we spoke about utilities. We spoke about the different ways in which people are being pushed out and I appreciated the time with the president. I appreciated the conversation. I look forward to working together to deliver that affordability for New Yorkers.”
26m ago
Trump and Mamdani speak in Oval Office, with president saying they had a “really good” meeting
CBS News
After allowing reporters into the Oval Office, Mr. Trump said he and Mamdani just concluded a “really good” meeting.
“We’ve just had a great meeting, a really good, very productive meeting,” Mr. Trump said. The president said they have “one thing in common — we want this city of ours that we love to do very well.”
“The better he does, the happier I am,” Mr. Trump continued. “There’s no difference in party, there’s no difference in anything.”
39m ago
Mamdani spoke with Schumer before White House meeting
Mamdani and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke Thursday as the mayor-elect was preparing for the White House meeting, a person familiar with their call told CBS News.
Schumer, the senior senator from New York, is no stranger to high-stakes Oval Office encounters with Mr. Trump during the president’s two terms in office, most recently ahead of the record-long government shutdown.
Schumer did not endorse Mamdani’s mayoral bid, but they did speak shortly after Election Day, according to multiple people familiar with their interactions.
The Brooklyn-born Schumer and Queens-based Mamdani go back several years, most notably during the 2021 New York taxi driver strike over taxi medallion costs and increased use of ride-sharing services. Mamdani helped lead hunger strikes by the drivers and Schumer worked with him to secure a deal to restructure medallion owners’ debts.
53m ago
Mamdani has arrived at the White House
CBS News New York’s Jessica Moore confirms that Mamdani has arrived at the White House. It’s not yet clear if his meeting with Mr. Trump has begun.
Members of the media assembled outside the West Wing did not see Mamdani arrive. White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a photo of the group from inside the building with the caption “Too late guys! Y’all are too slow!”
2:57 PM
$10 billion in federal funds on the line at White House meeting
J.C. Polanco, a political analyst and professor at Mt. Saint Vincent University , says the federal government controls $10 billion in funds that Mamdani is going to need to enact his ambitious agenda.
“This is a very consequential meeting,” Polanco said.
“New York City took a big leap of faith with Mayor-elect Mamdani. He’s an assemblymember, representing about 125,000 people. Now he’s about to assume the important role of CEO of New York City government, and to be our chief negotiator in the federal government,” he continued. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Mayor-elect Mamdani to show the world that he’s ready to sit down with the president and represent our interests.”
So will the two be able to overcome their differences to help New York?
“It depends which Mayor-elect Mamdani and which President Trump show up. If it’s the President Trump of February, where he treated President Zelenskyy in that manner, I think it’s going to be just a complete disaster today. But if it’s the President Trump that wants to work, that wants to see who this new guy is, we may have a good meeting,” Polanco said. “It’s important for Mayor-elect Mamdani to stay agile, because he doesn’t know who’s coming. And is it the Mayor-elect Mamdani from the campaign, that happy warrior that was smiling and wanted to work together with everyone? Or is it going to be the Mayor-elect Mamdani of election night, where he told President Trump, turn the volume up, I ain’t playing with you.”
Read more here.
2:49 PM
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke with Mamdani before meeting
The press office for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed to CBS News New York that the mayor-elect and governor spoke prior to Friday’s meeting with Mr. Trump.
Hochul’s office did not offer details about what the two discussed, but the governor has long pursued a relationship with Mr. Trump on a number of key issues, including the Gateway Project and the possible deployment of the National Guard to the Big Apple.
Updated 2:45 PM
What’s at stake in the Trump-Mamdani meeting
The outcome of the meeting could be hugely consequential for the future of New York City. There’s a lot on the line, from funding for infrastructure projects to setting parameters around immigration enforcement.
On Oct. 1, the first day of the government shutdown, the White House froze $18 billion in funding for a pair of New York infrastructure projects: the Gateway Tunnel and the Second Avenue Subway. The president later said the Gateway Tunnel project was “terminated,” but the ultimate status of the funding remains unclear.
The White House has also indicated it is planning to ramp up immigration enforcement in New York. Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said last week that the administration is “increasing enforcement presence in New York City again because they’re a sanctuary city, and we know we have an issue.” A Mamdani spokesperson said that the mayor-elect “remains steadfast in his commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of every single New Yorker and upholding our sanctuary laws.”
Perhaps most importantly, Mamdani needs federal security clearance to be briefed on terror threats and other law enforcement activity, a process that the president could help speed along.
Updated 2:45 PM
Trump predicts he and Mamdani will “get along fine”
In an interview with Fox News Radio on Friday morning, the president said he expects the meeting to be “quite civil” and that he and the incoming mayor will “get along fine.”
“He’s got a different philosophy, he’s a little bit different. I give him a lot of credit for the run. He did a successful run, and we all know that runs are not easy,” Mr. Trump said. “But I think we’ll get along fine. Look, we’re looking for the same thing — we want to make New York strong, and, you know, there’s such a different philosophy.”
He added: “He was very nice in calling, as you know. And we’re going to have a meeting. I guess we meet at 3 o’clock today. And I think it’s going to be quite civil. We’ll find out.”
Updated 2:45 PM
House passes resolution denouncing socialism hours before Trump-Mamdani meeting
Hours before Mamdani’s meeting with Mr. Trump, the House passed a resolution “denouncing the horrors of socialism.” It was a broadly bipartisan vote, 285-98, with 86 Democrats joining 199 Republicans in voting for the resolution. Ninety-eight Democrats opposed the resolution, and two voted “present.” No Republicans voted against it.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican of Louisiana, said in response to a question about the upcoming meeting, “It’s going to be exciting,” and he called it “a happy coincidence that we just voted on a socialism resolution” in the House.
“There’s a big, widening chasm between the two parties with regard to this idea of big government control of everybody’s lives and Marxism,” and he again said it was “a happy coincidence that it coincides with the Marxist mayor’s meeting at White House.”
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York says she “chatted very briefly” with Mamdani this morning. She said he’s also spoken with many of the members of the New York City delegation and noted his promise to talk to anyone about the city’s affordability issues.
“Mayor-elect Mamdani has made clear that he will meet with anyone and everyone to tackle New York City’s affordability crisis,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters at the Capitol. “So, I look forward to seeing what the president, you know, has to say about that.”
Jaala Brown and Patrick Maguire
Updated 2:45 PM
What Trump and Mamdani have said about each other
The president has called Mamdani “my little communist mayor.” Mamdani has vowed to “Trump-proof” New York City.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, doesn’t have much in common politically with the Republican president. But he called the meeting “an opportunity to make the case for New Yorkers” and said he plans to discuss economic security and public safety.
“I’ll be ready for whatever happens,” Mamdani said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday 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.”
Mamdani used similar language, saying his team reached out to set up the meeting “because I will work with anyone to make life more affordable for the more than 8.5 million people who call this city home.”
But often, their words for each other have been more combative.
Mr. Trump, who grew up in Queens and built his business career in New York City, has decried the incoming mayor as “a communist lunatic.” Mamdani has blasted the president’s immigration raids and economic policies.
Read more here about what the two men have said about each other.
Updated 2:45 PM
Mamdani all smiles on his way to D.C.
Mamdani kept his public comments Friday ahead of the meeting to a minimum.
Instead, he posted a photo on X in the morning showing him smiling, with a plane emoji as the caption, as he headed to Washington for the meeting with Mr. Trump:
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 21, 2025
Updated 2:45 PM
Mamdani says he’ll highlight affordability at White House meeting
At a press conference on Thursday, the mayor-elect told reporters that he plans to highlight the issue of affordability during his meeting with the president.
“I will be heading to Washington, D.C., tomorrow to meet with President Trump at the White House. It is customary for the mayor of this city to meet with the White House, given their mutual reliance,” Mamdani said. “It is more critical than ever, given the national crisis of affordability — one that New Yorkers know very well across these five boroughs — and the specific challenge many cities are facing with balancing public safety against steps taken by this administration.”
The mayor-elect said his team reached out to set up the meeting, “because I will work with anyone to make life more affordable for the more than 8.5 million people who call this city home.”
As for potential disagreements?
“I have many disagreements with the president, and I believe that we should be relentless and pursue all avenues and all meetings that could make our city affordable for every single New Yorker,” he continued. “I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work with him on any agenda that benefits New Yorkers. If an agenda hurts New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say so.”
Read more here.
