NY’s Mamdani Ready to Discuss Cost of Living with Trump

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, winner of the New York mayoral election, said Wednesday that he was ready to engage with his long-time critic, President Donald Trump, on addressing the cost of living crisis.

The Muslim-American lawmaker, whose meteoric rise from outsider to mayor-elect has surprised many, quipped during a press briefing that “the White House hasn’t reached out to congratulate me.”

“I remain interested in having a conversation with President Trump about how we can work together to serve New Yorkers,” Mamdani said, suggesting that “delivering on his campaign promises around cost of living” would be a good starting point.

Like Trump, Mamdani made the rising cost of living, inflation, and surging grocery prices central themes of his campaign, which defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo’s platform.

“The lesson for the president,” he added, “is that it’s not enough to diagnose the crisis in working-class Americans’ lives — you have to deliver on solving it.”

Mamdani also criticized Trump for pledging to tackle the soaring cost of groceries while attempting to suspend food assistance during his administration’s government shutdown.

Having won on promises to make city bus travel free, control rents, and offer free childcare, Mamdani said, “What scares Republicans across the country is that we’ll actually deliver on this agenda.”

On Wednesday, Mamdani introduced the five women who will co-chair his transition team, including Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission under Joe Biden, and Maria Torres-Springer, who resigned as deputy mayor under Eric Adams over his engagement with Trump.