Mamdani charms Trump, pushes housing and gets ICE detainee released
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Mamdani and Trump, in the Oval Office on Thursday with a fake tabloid (left) and a real one from 1975. Photo: Zohran Mamdani's account on X
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had what he called a "productive" meeting with President Trump on Thursday, charming the president with a mocked-up tabloid newspaper featuring his likeness.
Why it matters: Mamdani and Trump have developed an unexpected, made-for-TV relationship despite their vast political differences.
- The democratic socialist mayor and the Republican president had a shockingly cordial White House meeting in November, and have even texted back and forth since then.
- Now Mamdani is trying to use their bond to help him deliver on his promises to make housing and daily life in New York more affordable.
Zoom in: In their previously unannounced get-together Thursday, Mamdani presented Trump with a proposal to build an estimated 12,000 housing units in New York.
- "The president was very enthusiastic about this idea, very enthusiastic," said Mamdani press secretary Joe Calvello, who said the plan would be "one of the biggest federal investments in housing in 50 years" if it comes to fruition.
- Mamdani's aides also created a fake front page of the New York Daily News for Trump. In a photo posted on social media by Mamdani, Trump is smiling as he holds up the paper, which reads, "Trump to City: Let's Build" and "Backs New Era of Housing."
- It was a play on the Daily News' famous 1975, " front page article headlined, "Ford to City: Drop Dead," published after then-President Ford rejected a federal bailout for the struggling city.
- Mamdani's team also brought along a copy of that front page, and Trump cheesed for the camera with it.
Mamdani's team said the mayor asked Trump to release a Columbia University student who was detained by ICE earlier on Thursday. He also asked the Trump administration to consider dismissing the cases of four other students who've been detained in New York.
- After leaving the White House, Mamdani received a call from Trump, who said that the Columbia student, Elmina Aghayeva, would be freed, according to Calvello.
Zoom out: Mamdani has plenty of reasons to keep up relations with Trump. The president has threatened to withhold money from the city in the past, and he could upend New York's economy if he decided to send the National Guard there as part of a crackdown on crime and immigration.
- Despite his socialist bonafides, Mamdani has shown a pragmatic streak as mayor. He sees his own success as strongly tied to the future of the left-wing movement.
The other side: A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Marc Caputo contributed to this report.
