As New York-elect mayor Zohran Mamdani and US President Donald Trump prepare for their first meeting today, the attention is back on what the two leaders have said about each other over the last few months.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist who takes office in January, said he sought the meeting with Trump to talk about ways to make New York City more affordable.
Trump has said he may want to help him out, although he has also falsely labeled Mamdani as a "communist" and threatened to yank federal funds from his hometown.
Mamdani has said that he's willing to work with Trump if the President's agenda benefits New Yorkers and oppose him if it does not. The two men are convenient political foils for each other, and taking the other one on can galvanize their supporters.
A look at what Mamdani and Trump have said about each other:
Trump calls Mamdani a "communist"
During the NYC mayoral campaign, Trump called Mamdani a "communist", warning that New York would become "a communist city" if he won. He also called him a "100 per cent Communist Lunatic" and a "total nut job," in a Truth Social post.
Trump warns Mamdani to "behave"
Trump also threatened to cut federal funding for NYC if Mamdani won, saying, "If he does get in, I'm going to be president, and he's going to have to do the right thing, or they're not getting any money." He also warned him to "behave" or "face big problems".
Trump threatens to arrest Mamdani over immigration
On the campaign trail, Trump threatened to arrest Mamdani after the latter said he would not cooperate with ICE raids in New York if he became the mayor.
Mamdani discussed forming a coalition with state officials, including Trump's nemesis, New York Attorney General Letitia James, to sue the federal government if troops got sent.
Trump responded by saying, "Then we'll have to arrest him," and even questioned Mamdani's citizenship," who was born in Uganda and became a naturalized American citizen after graduating from college.
Mamdani calls Trump's administration "authoritarian"
Mamdani has called Trump's administration "authoritarian" and described himself as "Donald Trump's worst nightmare". He has strongly rejected Trump's threats, calling them "intimidation" and "an attack on our democracy".
Mamdani further stated that Trump's statement doesn't just represent an attack on democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows.
Mamdani on Trump's rules
In a Fox News interview, Mamdani said he was ready to work with Washington but not at the cost of New Yorkers. "I will not be a mayor ... who will call you to figure out how to stay out of jail ... I will, however, be a mayor ... ready to speak ... to lower the cost of living," he said.
Labeling Cuomo a Puppet
Mamdani painted Andrew Cuomo as a "puppet" of Trump and said he would be "a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver."
He declared during one primary debate, "I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare, as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in."
Mamdani fiery victory speech for Trump
After winning the NYC mayoral race, Mamdani addressed Trump directly, "Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up!"
He also took a dig at Trump's ICE raids, "New York will remain a city of immigrants: a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant."
Trump's reaction to Mamdani's victory
Trump responded by calling Mamdani's speech "very dangerous" and warned the newly elected leader to be "a little bit respectful of Washington".
Their first-ever meeting, scheduled for Friday at 3 pm EST at the White House, could be a curious and combustible affair.
Even though Trump and Mamdani have been fierce opponents and criticized each other heavily, they are open to possibly working together on issues that benefit New York City. But for both men, the meeting offers opportunities beyond any areas of potential bipartisan agreement.
The meeting gives Trump a high-profile chance to talk about affordability at a time when he's under increasing political pressure to show he's addressing voter concerns about the cost of living.
A senior Trump administration official said Trump had not put a lot of thought into planning the meeting with the incoming mayor but said Trump's threats to block federal dollars from flowing to New York remained on the table.
