Zohran Mamdani beat out former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his campaign for mayor of New York City with purpose and precision. His campaign highlighted three main goals: fast and free buses, free child care and freezing rent — ideas that would completely transform the life of an average New Yorker.
In an upset victory, Mamdani was elected in hopes of making good on these promises, with millions of residents ecstatic over this monumental win. Toppling a political dynasty put forth by the Cuomo family, Mamdani’s win highlighted a new era for New Yorkers. A time for personal freedom to take charge. However, President Donald Trump’s threats still loom over the city he once called home.
For many of the minority communities, African Americans, Latino/Hispanic, South Asian, Muslim, immigrant and undocumented New Yorkers, Trump’s threats echo years of targeted attacks and discrimination. From promises of expanding ICE patrol in the city and threatening to send in the National Guard, Trump has sparked fear in the minds of residents that will not be easily forgotten from one mere moment of peace between him and the mayor-elect.
Shortly after his election, Mamdani was invited as mayor-elect to visit President Trump at the White House. For much of his campaign, Mamdani fought against the power of New York's elite — a demographic Trump has protected and is proudly a part of as a renowned businessman — with Mamdani even committing himself to increasing their taxes.
Furthermore, Trump’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a hot topic as Mamdani unquestionably condemns the war in Gaza. This meeting was highly anticipated and remarked throughout the press in the days leading up to it.
While an unconventional “friendship” seemingly arose from this meeting, it’s anything but genuine. It’s a media-crafted illusion — a calculated effort by Mamdani to put personal grievances with Trump aside and secure tangible gains to benefit the lives of New Yorkers.
After months of labeling Mamdani as a threat to the country’s largest city, Trump seemed charmed by their conversation. In the press conference, he allowed Mamdani to call him a "fascist" — saying it was “easier than explaining it” — and stressed the need for cordiality, much unlike his meltdowns toward other politicians.
The president went as far to say they “had more in common than he would have thought,” looking up at him with a sweet smile, and said he’d feel “very, very comfortable” in Mamdani’s New York.
But despite this meeting, the nearly 6 million ethnic and racial minorities in NYC still live in fear of Trump’s regime. Even this week, Mamdani highlighted the recent disappearance of six-year-old Yuanxin, who was separated from his father by ICE after a “routine check-in.” Although he has Trump in his corner, fear still lingers.
While many on social media have joked that Trump is quite taken by the future mayor, it’s important to see the relationship for what it is: a hopeful, political gain.
When asked if he stands by earlier claims that Trump is a despot and an attack on our democracy, Mamdani took the opportunity to stand by his earlier message, showing New Yorkers that while they can have a seemingly productive working relationship, his thoughts on the core values of the Trump administration have not deviated.
Trump’s earlier claims only amplify the anxiety these communities have felt since he re-gained the presidency. Mamdani’s presence is not a safety blanket, but it is a ray of hope. The threats still stand, the questions of their rights are still being asked and their sense of belonging remains unstable. But with Mamdani at the helm, New Yorkers are putting their trust in him.
Even his latest call with Trump on Dec. 1, an extension of their surprisingly warm November meeting, makes clear just how thin the line is. Mamdani may cooperate where it benefits New Yorkers, but his view on Trump’s authoritarian tendencies still stands. In the months ahead, New Yorkers must stay vigilant and continue to protect the communities most vulnerable from federal overreach. In many ways, it’s an interesting test case: two politicians who couldn’t be further apart on the political spectrum, leaning into a political gambit that seems less about shared ideology and more about what each can extract from each other.
