Mamdani Again Begs for Money After Getting Elected

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani — freshly elected as New York City’s next mayor — is already drawing sharp criticism after releasing a transition-period video that many New Yorkers say exposes just how radical his incoming administration may be. Mamdani, who defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, used the video to declare that “a lot of work lies ahead,” while calling for new donations from “working class” supporters despite previously telling backers to stop contributing during the campaign.

In his message on X, Mamdani thanked his base and urged small-dollar donors to help finance the early stages of his far-left administration. He claimed the money would go toward hiring policy staff, building out infrastructure, and preparing for his move into City Hall.

Alongside the video, he posted a message aimed at signaling sweeping ideological change: “The leaves are changing and so is City Hall. Leave a donation to help us build a city that works for all of us. Thank you, New York City. Together we made history. Now let’s get to work.”

On Friday, Mamdani traveled to Washington for a meeting with President Donald J. Trump — an encounter that defied expectations on nearly every front. Mamdani, who once branded himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare,” and whom President Trump had previously called a “100% Communist Lunatic” and a “total nut job,” struck an uncharacteristically conciliatory tone inside the Oval Office.

Reporters noted the contrast as President Trump offered his own unexpected assessment of the mayor-elect: “I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually,” the president said as Mamdani stood beside him.

For Mamdani, the meeting offered a national platform beyond New York City politics. For President Trump, it provided an opportunity to spotlight affordability concerns at a time when Americans continue demanding relief from the cost-of-living crisis inherited from years of mismanagement by Democratic leadership in major cities.

Despite years of mutual attacks, both men avoided confrontation and spoke of cooperation — a surprising development that could test their respective political bases.

President Trump emphasized his commitment to restoring the nation’s largest city:
“We’re going to be helping him, to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York,” he said.

Mamdani echoed the diplomatic tone, saying, “What I really appreciate about the president is that the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers.”

President Trump went further, acknowledging overlap on at least one key issue: “Some of his ideas are really the same ideas that I have,” he said of Mamdani’s proposals on inflation.

According to the mayor-elect, his primary reason for seeking the meeting was to present his case on affordability pressures in the city. Despite Trump’s past criticism — including calling Mamdani a “communist” and warning he might withhold federal funding — the president told reporters he was not taking that path: “We don’t want that to happen. I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Elle Bisgaard-Church, Mamdani’s former campaign manager and incoming chief of staff, told NY1 that the two leaders held firm disagreements but aligned on crime reduction.
“We discussed that we share a mutual goal of having a safe city where everyone can move around in comfort and ease,” she said, noting areas of overlap on fairness and affordability.

Mamdani said he had no fear that the president would attempt to embarrass him, calling the meeting an opportunity to make his case while acknowledging the “many disagreements with the president.”

In the end, both men delivered a surprisingly cordial message — a rare moment of calm amid New York City’s sharp political divides, even as scrutiny mounts over the socialist mayor-elect’s vision for the nation’s largest city.