New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently described his relationship with US President Donald Trump as “honest, direct and productive,” NBC News reported a day before accusing him of “ruining New York” by proposing a new property tax for wealthy New Yorkers.
Mamdani, who recently celebrated his first 100 days in office, told NBC: “He’s the president of the United States of America. I’m the mayor of New York, and we know that so much of what the city needs also depends on the relationship with the federal administration.”
The NYC mayor added that he partially attributes their sometimes friendly relationship to the fact that “New York City has a very special place for him and me. We’re both from the same city.” He went on to say that the discussions between the two went beyond the usual framework of presidential talks; they also cover very detailed topics such as specific zoning changes in Midtown Manhattan. What he believes reflects that Donald Trump is not only the president of the country, but also a lifelong New Yorker who has a personal interest and a deep interest in these matters.
Trump criticizes Mamdani
Although the two leaders worked together and met in the Oval Office at least twice. Mamdani was elected last November.
He did not specify how often he spoke with Trump. However, the NYC mayor has been the subject of Trump’s ire this week. He criticized Mamdani and New York Gov. Kathy Hochula’s plan to impose a property tax on New York properties worth more than $5 million whose owners do not primarily live there.
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump wrote: “Sadly, Mayor Mamdani is RUINING New York! He has no chance! The United States of America should not contribute to his failure. It will only get WORSE. TAXES, TAXES, TAX policy is SO BAD. People are fleeing. They need to change their ways, AND FAST. History has proven THIS JUST WORKS.”
Mamdani reacts to Trump’s anger
Responding to Trump’s remarks, Mamdani noted Friday that he and the US president want NYC to succeed and reiterated that this is the way to do it.
Earlier this week, Mamdani highlighted a proposed pied-à-terre tax that he estimated could generate $500 million for New York. The proceeds would help support major initiatives, including expanding free childcare across the city. During his campaign, Mamdani consistently emphasized higher taxes on wealthy residents as a central part of his political agenda.
In an interview with NBC, he said, “I’ve always said I believe in the importance of taxing the rich. This is taxing the rich.” He went on to say that the idea of a pied-a-terre tax had been floated in the city for years, but had never been fully implemented. He said it’s encouraging to work with the governor to achieve something many once thought impossible.
Mamdani completes 100 days in office
Earlier this week, Mamdani celebrated his first 100 days in office, after which he highlighted his administration’s early successes and also unveiled three new priorities, including the opening of the city’s first grocery store by 2027. In addition, the Ministry of Sanitation will containerize all residential waste in the five boroughs by the end of the year, the Ministry of Transportation’s initiative 1 by the end of the year, and the Ministry of Transportation’s 203 Commuter Initiative 20% along dozens of key corridors.
