United States President Donald Trump said he is willing to work with New York City’s incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, but cautioned that the progressive mayor-elect must show “respect” toward Washington if he wants to succeed.
Trump made the comments Wednesday during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, responding to Mamdani’s remarks after his historic election as the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor.
“He has to be a little bit respectful of Washington, because if he’s not, he doesn’t have a chance of succeeding,” Trump said. “And I want to make him succeed. I want to make the city succeed.”
The president’s remarks followed Mamdani’s fiery victory speech on Tuesday night, in which the democratic socialist vowed to “stand up to Trump.” Trump called those comments “a dangerous statement” but emphasized that his administration would still be open to helping New York under Mamdani’s leadership, with conditions.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump described Mamdani as a “communist” while speaking at the American Business Forum in Miami, saying: “The communists, Marxists, and globalists had their chance, and they delivered nothing but disaster. Now let’s see how a communist does in New York. We’re going to see how that works out.”
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Still, he suggested limited cooperation: “We’ll help him, we’ll help him. We want New York to be successful. We’ll help him a little bit, maybe.”
Mamdani, 33, will take office on January 1, overseeing a city of roughly 8.5 million people. His win marks a milestone in New York’s political history, and a new test for the city’s relationship with Washington.
His platform centers on sweeping social policies, including free universal childcare, fare-free public buses, and publicly run grocery stores. Mamdani, however, has repeatedly rejected Trump’s “communist” label, identifying instead as a democratic socialist.
The mayor-elect’s rise has sparked national attention amid the Democratic Party’s internal tensions between its centrist and progressive factions. Analysts say his victory could serve as a bellwether for how progressives aim to counter Trump’s influence ahead of the next presidential election.
In a speech outlining his priorities Wednesday, Mamdani reaffirmed his intent to challenge the Trump administration on key policy issues, but also hinted at a willingness to engage in dialogue.
“I will not mince my words when it comes to President Trump,” Mamdani said. “I will continue to describe his actions as they are, and I will also always do so while leaving a door open to have that conversation.”
Despite the tensions, both leaders have signaled a shared interest in ensuring New York’s stability, even as their political ideologies remain starkly opposed.
