Zohran Mamdani and Donald Trump talked again, this time without the fanfare of their first meeting.
Mamdani, New York’s incoming democratic socialist mayor, spoke briefly over the phone with the Republican president before the end of November. Their call, first disclosed by Mamdani on Spectrum News NY1 on Dec. 2, occurred less than two weeks after their surprisingly chummy Nov. 21 Oval Office meeting.
“I’ve always kept it a conversation that’s focused on the welfare of New Yorkers,” Mamdani said on NY1's "Inside City Hall." “And the fact that New Yorkers are still struggling under a cost of living crisis.”
Mamdani, who takes office Jan. 1, didn't specify when the call took place, though he said they spoke prior to a clash between protesters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on Nov. 29 in lower Manhattan. A spokesperson for Mamdani said they talked before Thanksgiving.
Mamdani said he gave condolences to Trump about the two National Guard members shot in Washington, DC, on Nov. 26, including one soldier who died.
In addition, Mamdani said they discussed building housing and the importance of helping New Yorkers being pricing out of the city.