Overview
- Mamdani plans to proactively reach the White House before his Jan. 1 swearing-in, calling the relationship critical to the city’s success.
- He has privately consulted Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on dealing with President Trump and on governing priorities, Axios reports.
- Discussions with governors touched on preparing for possible federal actions, innovation in government, permitting reform, and conversations about antisemitism and Israel, according to the reporting.
- President Trump has attacked Mamdani’s agenda and signaled he could limit federal support, at times saying New York would get only the minimum required.
- As he assembles his team, Mamdani named former NYC budget chief Dean Fuleihan as first deputy mayor and Elle Bisgaard-Church as chief of staff, while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has pushed back on making buses free without a funding plan.