Trump Meets Zohran Mamdani: You Will Become a Great Mayor
US President Donald Trump has met with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani once again. After frequently criticising Mamdani in the past, Trump now praised the young leader as a mayor with extraordinary potential.
As reported by USA Today on Tuesday (22/09/2026), Trump met with Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion in the Upper East Side, Manhattan, on Monday (21/09). The two discussed various issues affecting New York, ranging from affordable housing projects and immigration enforcement to the recent presidential bans on several media outlets, including CNN and MS NOW.
Trump stated that he wants New York to receive the best. He subsequently praised Mamdani for possessing immense potential.
“I want the best for New York. I want the best for this country,” he said.
“So, if I had to choose between him being a bad mayor or a very bad mayor, I do not want that. I want him to be a great mayor, and he clearly has extraordinary potential,” Trump remarked.
This marks the third face-to-face meeting between the two, with the previous two taking place at the White House.
As they exited the meeting after 5:00 PM local time (ET) and responded to journalists’ questions, Trump praised the mayor and expressed his enthusiasm for visiting a place he previously described as one of his “favourite places.”
“A beautiful place when you walk into it. I have seen it with various mayors—some were great and some were not so great. So, I hope you will be a great mayor. I hope to be able to say that you will be a great mayor, and you have started off well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mamdani stated that they discussed the cost of living for city residents as well as the Sunnyside Yards housing project, which they have been discussing for several months.
“At a time when hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are wondering how they can afford to live in this city, I appreciate the conversation I had with the President regarding how we can make the cost of living more affordable in this great city we call home,” said Mamdani.
Last February, the mayor visited the White House to present a proposal for the development of 12,000 housing units at Sunnyside Yards, Queens, with the assistance of federal grants.
On Monday (21/09), Trump told reporters that he was aware of the plan, as well as the necessary approvals and federal grants required to realise it.
“I understand it very well. So, when he mentions Sunnyside Yards—an area that has been discussed for development for 50 years—it is possible they have a chance to make it happen,” Trump said.