Zohran Mamdani brought a piece of media history to the White House on Thursday. The New York City mayor presented US President Donald Trump with a mock New York Daily News front page as he sought federal backing for a $21 billion housing plan.
The staged front page, designed to resemble the New York Daily News, carried the headline, “Trump to City: Let's Build.” It was an homage to the newspaper's historic 1975 cover that read “Ford to City: Drop Dead,” published after then-President Gerald Ford vowed to veto federal financial assistance for a near-bankrupt New York City.
Unlike the rejection of 1975, Mamdani's mock-up envisioned federal backing. The front page featured a headshot of Trump alongside the line, “Backs new era of housing.”
A photo from the Oval Office shows Trump with a wide grin as he held the mock front page next to the 1975 real newspaper. Mamdani, who posted the photo, was standing by his side.
The mayor wrote, “I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon. I'm looking forward to building more housing in New York City.”
Anna Bahr, Mamdani's communications director, said the mayor's team created the mock front page and accompanying headlines to illustrate the kind of public reaction that major federal housing investments could generate, per The Associated Press.
The meeting focused on Mamdani's proposal to unlock more than $21 billion in federal grants to build a platform deck over Sunnyside Yard, a 180-acre rail hub in Queens. The mayor's office says the funds would be used to build what could be the largest deck over a rail yard in the world. It would create space for up to 12,000 new affordable homes, including units reserved for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers, along with new parks, schools and health clinics.
The Sunnyside Yard redevelopment has been discussed for years, with the New York City Economic Development Corporation proposing to build a deck over the active rail yard to create space for new development.
Mamdani called it a “once-in-a-generation” chance to ease the housing shortage and create tens of thousands of well-paying union jobs. If approved, officials say it would be the largest housing and infrastructure investment in New York City in more than 50 years.
City Hall estimates the project could generate 30,000 jobs and would be the most significant housing and infrastructure investment in New York City in over 50 years. According to Bahr, Trump was “very enthusiastic” about the proposal.
