Overview
- In an NBC New York interview, Zohran Mamdani said he will reach out to the White House before his Jan. 1 swearing-in, calling the relationship critical to the city's success.
- He described a proactive effort to dissuade the administration from deploying ICE agents or National Guard troops to New York City.
- Mamdani said he is ready to work with political adversaries when it benefits residents and will fight policies he believes would harm New Yorkers.
- President Trump has been a prominent critic of Mamdani and has threatened to withhold federal funding from the city.
- The mayor-elect also faces doubts from state Democrats, with Gov. Kathy Hochul signaling resistance to making all city buses free.