New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said he intends to be "proactive" by reaching out to President Donald Trump before taking office, calling their communication "a relationship that will be critical" to the city's success.
Mamdani made the comments in an interview with NBC New York on Tuesday, one week after taunting the president following his election-night victory.
"Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up," Mamdani, a democratic socialist, told the president from the stage of his Brooklyn victory party on Nov. 4.
But now, Mamdani is motivated to cultivate a relationship in an attempt to stave off deployment of federal immigration agents or National Guard troops to New York.
"I will be proactive," Mamdani told the outlet. "I will be reaching out to the White House as we prepare to actually take office because this is a relationship that will be critical to the success of the city."
Trump has labeled Mamdani a "communist" and claimed "it's gonna be hard" for him to send federal dollars to New York if Mamdani wins.
On his Truth Social account, Trump wrote that if Mamdani wins, the city will receive only "the very minimum as required" in federal funding.
Speaking at a rally last week in Miami, one day after Mamdani was elected, Trump said, "We'll help him, a little bit maybe."
Trump accused Mamdani of wanting to "turn New York into Venezuela," and warned that "federal aid should go to places that respect American values."
Mamdani's platform emphasizes rent freezes, fare-free buses, universal child care, and city-owned grocery stores, funded by higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations.
Mamdani previewed for NBC New York what he plans to say to Trump during the call.
"I'll say that I'm here to work for the benefit of everyone who calls the city home and that wherever there is a possibility for working together towards that end, I'm ready," he said. "And if it's to the expense of those New Yorkers, I will fight it."
Mamdani will officially assume office as mayor of New York City on Jan. 1, 2026.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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