‘We have a Communist coming’: White House renews attack on NYC mayor-elect Mamdani before meeting Trump
Washington: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that President Donald Trump is willing to “meet anyone” and try to do “what is right” for the American people, ahead of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s scheduled meeting with the President in the Oval Office on Friday.
Leavitt also renewed criticism of Mamdani, describing him as a “communist” in remarks to reporters.
“…The President issued a statement that the Mayor-elect will be coming to the Oval Office tomorrow, so our teams are arranging those details… It speaks volumes that tomorrow we have a Communist coming to the White House, because that's who the Democrat Party elected as the Mayor of the largest city in the country,” she said.
Leavitt added that New York City is shifting further to the left than Trump had anticipated.
"It's very telling but it also speaks to the fact that President Trump is willing to meet with anyone and talk to anyone and try to do what's right on behalf of the American people, whether they live in blue states or red states or blue cities and the city which is becoming much more Left than the President ever anticipated in his many years of living in New York himself," she said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump announced on Truth Social that Mamdani had requested the meeting. He wrote: “Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran 'Kwame' Mamdani, has asked for a meeting. We have agreed that this meeting will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st. Further details to follow!”
The meeting comes after months of tense exchanges between the two. According to The New York Times, Mamdani’s team reached out to the White House seeking a discussion focused on New York’s affordability crisis, signalling a potential shift in tone after the confrontational campaign season.
During his campaign, Mamdani had described Trump as a threat to democracy and said he alone had the “backbone” to challenge him.