Mamdani’s Charm Offensive at Trump’s White House Saves New York City’s Federal Dollars — for Now

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani seems to have saved his 8 million constituents from a drastic revenue cut after his meeting with President Trump this past week. Mr. Trump’s top economic aide says the White House likely will not be withholding federal dollars, in part because of Mr. Mamdani’s commitment to public safety. Mr. Trump raged against Mr. Mamdani during the course of the mayoral campaign, with the president deriding the Democratic candidate as a radical and a “communist.” Before the election, the president endorsed Governor Andrew Cuomo despite his clear disdain for the ex-governor. He said at the time that federal dollars would likely be slashed from the city’s coffers if Mr. Mamdani won.Friday, however, Mr. Mamdani won over the president during their White House meeting. On Sunday, the director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that the president likely will not be trying to cut federal dollars for his hometown. “It feels like he doesn’t mean it now,” Mr. Hassett said when asked if Mr. Trump would be cutting funds for America’s largest city. “We’ll have to wait and see what Mamdani does.”Mr. Hassett specifically mentioned Mr. Mamdani’s commitment to keeping political commissioner Jessica Tisch in her post, saying that the White House was “really reassured by that development.”“New York always feels like safety is on the edge and so the fact that Mamdani as the mayor has agreed to keep the police commissioner is a kind of sign that maybe he’ll be able to work together with President Trump,” Mr. Hassett said. “We’re sure hopeful that we can.”“President Trump really wants to work with everybody who cares about the future of the American people,” he added.Beyond saving those billions of dollars New York City receives from the federal government every year, Mr. Mamdani also seems to have won over the president on keeping national guard troops out of the city’s streets. When asked by reporters if he would federalize the national guard and deploy them to the city, Mr. Trump said it appears that Mr. Mamdani doesn’t need that kind of intervention. “Right now, other places need it more, but if they need it,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “We had a very good meeting yesterday. We talked about that, but if they need it, I would do it.”As always, Mr. Mamdani being in Mr. Trump’s good graces could be fleeting, based on how the mayor-elect reacts to events such as deportation operations once he is inaugurated in January. Mr. Mamdani promised during his campaign that he would end “any cooperation” between the city and ICE as part of his plan to start “Trump-proofing” New York City. One poor interaction or negative quote from the soon-to-be mayor could cause Mr. Trump to tap into his retributive streak, despite the fact that the president has been expressing love for his hometown. In October, he withheld billions of funds for infrastructure projects in the city in order to punish Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Chuck Schumer for their role in blocking a government funding deal. On Sunday, Mr. Mamdani told NBC News’s “Meet the Press” that he does believe Mr. Trump is a fascist and a despot, though he clearly tried to move on from the subject quickly in order to talk about how he and the president can work together. “Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe,” the mayor-elect said, though he added that he was ready to work “with everyone and anyone” for the benefit of New Yorkers. Despite rapidly becoming one of the most recognizable left-wing politicians in America in just the last few months, Mr. Mamdani is trying to eschew the “fight at all costs” mentality of some of his fellow Democrats. Instead, he’s taking a page from leaders like Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, who has had warm interactions and relatively strong cooperation with the Trump administration in recent months. Conservatives, meanwhile, are clearly displeased that Mr. Trump has taken a liking to New York City’s new mayor. The president’s chosen candidate for governor of New York State, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, has been calling Mr. Mamdani a “jihadist” during his rise to national prominence. On Friday, Mr. Trump said he did not agree with that sentiment. “No, I don’t,” Mr. Trump said when asked about Ms. Stefanik’s description of him. “But she’s out there campaigning. You say things sometimes in a campaign. She’s a very capable person.”“I met with a man who’s a very rational person,” Mr. Trump said alongside Mr. Mamdani in the Oval Office. Just hours later, Ms. Stefanik put out a statement pushing back against the president’s comments as she tried to tie Governor Kathy Hochul to the city’s new socialist mayor. “We all want NYC to succeed. But we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one,” Ms. Stefanik said. “If he walks like a jihadist, if he talks like a jihadist, if he campaigns like a jihadist, if he supports jihadists, he’s a jihadist. And he’s Kathy Hochul’s jihadist.”

Mamdani’s Charm Offensive at Trump’s White House Saves New York City’s Federal Dollars — for Now

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