Zohran Mamdani Meets Trump, Seeks $21 Billion For Affordable Housing Push

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani met President Donald Trump on Thursday to urge him to release $21 billion in federal grants to build 12,000 affordable housing units and infrastructure.

Mamdani posted an image of himself at the White House presenting Trump with a mock newspaper front-page that read: "Trump to city: Let's build".

The meeting between the two men was not announced in advance.

The amount includes funding for affordable housing units and infrastructure in a Queens neighbourhood, including parks, schools and health centres, according to a statement from Mamdani's office.

"The proposal represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to confront the city's housing crisis at the scale it demands," the statement said.

"If realised, the project would mark the largest housing and infrastructure investment in New York City in more than 50 years."

The Republican leader, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticised Mamdani, but the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November.

"I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon," Mamdani wrote in a post on X after Thursday's talks.

"I'm looking forward to building more housing in New York City."

They agreed to continue talks over the project and its funding "in the weeks ahead."

Following the meeting, Mamdani said Trump had also agreed to the release of a Columbia University student detained by federal immigration agents earlier in the day.