Muslim Mayor of New York Meets Trump: Discussion on US$21 Billion Housing Grant

New York City’s Muslim Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with US President Donald Trump at the White House to request the release of US$21 billion (IDR 352 trillion) in federal grants. The funds are critical for constructing 12,000 affordable housing units and supporting infrastructure development in the city.

Mamdani posted an image from the White House showing him presenting Trump with a mock newspaper front page reading: “Trump to city: Let’s build.”

“This proposal represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address the city’s housing crisis at the scale required,” Mamdani stated. “If realised, this project would mark the largest housing and infrastructure investment in New York City in more than 50 years.”

Despite Trump’s previous public criticism of Mamdani, the White House meeting proved highly productive. Following their Thursday discussion, Mamdani wrote on X: “I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon. I look forward to building more housing in New York City.”

Both parties agreed to continue discussions regarding the project and its funding “in the coming weeks.” Following the meeting, Mamdani announced that Trump also agreed to secure the release of a Columbia University student detained by federal immigration agents on that day.