Mamdani opens up about surprisingly friendly meetings with Trump

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he is willing to meet President Donald Trump despite their major political differences if the discussions can benefit New Yorkers.

Despite their public criticism of each other, their face-to-face meetings have been notably cordial.

Speaking to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Monday, Mamdani said their ability to hold discussions despite their differences did not surprise him.

“Well, I think we’ve both said that we’d be willing to have a conversation if it could benefit the people of this city,” Mamdani told CNN.

“You can hold very disparate opinions and also be able to sit down because that is what this work demands of us. If I was only willing to speak with people who agreed with me all the time, I would be sitting at home looking in a mirror.”

Mamdani’s aides have viewed his meetings with Trump positively because the mayor has not had to compromise his political positions.

On Monday, Mamdani publicly disagreed with Trump’s media ban while appearing alongside the president in front of the New York press corps.