By Tiffany Williams –
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump offered rare praise for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday, saying the Democratic mayor has “great potential” as the two political rivals met at Gracie Mansion ahead of a packed week surrounding the United Nations General Assembly.
Trump arrived at Gracie Mansion shortly before 4 p.m. for talks with Mamdani before the two appeared together for a joint press conference. The meeting brought together two leaders who have clashed sharply over politics and policy but have continued talking about issues affecting New York City.
“No, I certainly hope he will be a great mayor,” Trump said when asked about Mamdani. “You have to understand — I want what’s good for New York. I want what’s good for the country.”
“So, if I had a choice of having him be a bad mayor or horrible mayor, I don’t want that,” he continued. “I want him to be a great mayor, and he’s certainly got potential and great potential.”
Trump had repeatedly attacked Mamdani, a democratic socialist, over his left-wing politics during the lead-up to last year’s election. But after the election, the two met in the Oval Office for a meeting that proved more cordial than many expected.
Their disagreements have not disappeared. Trump has since criticized some of Mamdani’s policies, including accusing the mayor of “destroying” New York City with his proposed tax on second homes.
But Monday brought a dramatically different tone.
Earlier in the day, Trump called Gracie Mansion one of his “favorite places in the World.”
“I spent lots of hours there over the years, with some great Mayors, some average Mayors, and some bad Mayors,” he wrote on Truth Social. “It will be interesting to see how it looks now, invited by Mayor Mamdani.”
Trump added that he was looking “forward” to the visit.
Once inside Gracie Mansion, the president again reflected on the mayors he had encountered during decades in New York and offered another public message to Mamdani.
“Hopefully you’re going to be a great one,” Trump said, giving Mamdani a pat on the back. “And you’re off to a start.”
Trump described returning to Gracie Mansion as “like coming home” and praised the condition of the historic mayoral residence.
“And it was very nice inside, beautifully kept. And, but it’s a very, very, representative place of New York, very important place,” he said.
The conversation was not limited to pleasantries. Housing emerged as a major issue, with Mamdani discussing plans involving Sunnyside Yard, the massive 180-acre train yard in Queens that could potentially become home to thousands of apartments.
The project could require at least $21 billion in federal grants, making cooperation with Washington a critical piece of any effort to move it forward.
“What we’re speaking about is 12,000 homes, 30,000 jobs. The prospect of an entire new neighborhood in a city where housing is the number one cost,” Mamdani said.
Trump acknowledged the federal government would have a major role.
“You’re going to need a lot of federal approvals and probably some federal money to do it. But, it’s always been a great location. I owned a building in Sunnyside. It was a great building. I know it very well,” Trump said.
Immigration also entered the discussion. Trump and Mamdani acknowledged talking about temporary protected status for Haitians, which the Trump administration recently canceled.
Mamdani said he made clear that he believes Haitian New Yorkers are important to the city’s fabric and economy and raised the question of stability for those affected by the administration’s decision.
The two leaders were also questioned about the president’s recent ban on certain news organizations from the White House. Trump defended his position, saying the “press has an obligation to be fair.”
After Trump departed Gracie Mansion, Mamdani returned to the lawn and answered additional questions from reporters. The mayor acknowledged that sharp disagreements remain between him and the president but said those disagreements would not stop him from maintaining communication with Washington.
“I will continue to have conversations with the president, and frankly, anyone who can deliver relief to the people of this city,” Mamdani said.
Trump has visited Gracie Mansion at least twice before. In 2003, he attended former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s wedding there, and in 2007 he attended a book party for Rep. Charles Rangel hosted during the administration of then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Presidential visits to the mayoral residence have been rare. Previous presidents who visited Gracie Mansion include Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said she had no plans to meet with Trump during the week, although she said she remains in contact with the president.
“I talk to him about a lot of things. I don’t worry about a lack of communication for us. It doesn’t come down to one meeting on a particular day,” Hochul said.
The Trump-Mamdani meeting came as New York City moved into an intense week of international activity surrounding the United Nations General Assembly, with representatives from countries around the world gathering in the city and heightened security measures accompanying the events.
Mamdani entered the week after welcoming mayors from the United States and around the world for the 2026 Urban 20 Mayors Summit.
New York City and Los Angeles co-chaired this year’s U20, convened by C40 Cities and United Cities and Local Governments. Over three days, 25 mayors, deputy mayors and senior city leaders representing 34 cities across G20 countries gathered in New York.
The summit concluded with city leaders ratifying a communique centered on three major priorities: expanding access to secure, dignified and affordable housing; confronting climate change through a clean and just energy transition and stronger urban resilience; and protecting immigrant and displaced communities while managing migration with dignity and humanity.
“People experience government through the rent they pay, the energy bill on their kitchen table, whether their children are safe when they leave the house and whether their family can build a good life,” said Mayor Mamdani. “That is why it matters that mayors from around the world came together in New York to say that cities need the power and resources to deliver for the people we serve. We know what is possible when government works for working people. Give cities the tools to meet these challenges and we will rise to the occasion.”
On housing, participating cities called on national governments to give local governments greater authority over their housing markets, including tenant protections, rent stabilization and rent control, limits on short-term rentals and inclusionary zoning.
Mayors also called for predictable public funding and direct access to housing financing through multilateral development banks, which would allow cities and nonprofit housing institutions to seek resources without going through national governments first.
On climate, the mayors emphasized the role cities play in cutting emissions and protecting residents from extreme heat, flooding and other climate threats. They called for cities to become eligible recipients of multilateral climate funds, participate formally in national climate and energy planning and gain access to meteorological and public health data needed for early warning systems.
Migration was the summit’s third major focus. The communique rejected political narratives that stigmatize newcomers and recognized the contributions migrants make to cities and economies.
The mayors called for dedicated funding for reception and integration, a meaningful role for cities in shaping migration policy and coordinated access to housing, health care, education and employment for migrants and displaced people.
The communique represents cities serving more than 500 million people and accounting for more than one-third of global GDP. It also calls on mayors to support locally elected leaders facing threats, intimidation, political persecution or removal from office for exercising their democratic mandate.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the summit demonstrated what cities can accomplish through cooperation.
“The 2026 Urban 20 has shown what cities can accomplish when we come together around the challenges our communities face every day. From housing affordability and climate action to supporting immigrant communities and creating good jobs, mayors are on the front lines, developing practical solutions and delivering results. In Los Angeles, we are putting that work into action — from going coal-free and doubling EV chargers citywide to creating capacity for half a million new homes through our historic rezoning program,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “The U20 Communiqué turns that shared experience into a collective call for action, giving cities the tools, resources, and partnerships they need to go further and faster. Los Angeles is proud to have co-chaired this year’s U20 with New York City, and we will carry this work forward with cities around the world.”
Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, co-chair of C40 Cities, pointed to common pressures facing cities despite their different locations and circumstances.
“Mayors came to New York from different countries and different circumstances, but the pressures facing our residents are remarkably similar: rising costs, extreme heat, housing insecurity and displacement,” said Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown, Co-Chair of C40 Cities. “This communiqué turns that shared experience into a shared agenda for action. Cities are ready to deliver. Give us the tools and resources to act, and we will.”
Konya Mayor Ugur Ibrahim Altay, president of United Cities and Local Governments, called for cooperation between cities and the international system.
“The spirit we need to carry forward is one of cooperation over division, solidarity over isolation, and shared responsibility for protecting our communities,” said Mayor Ugur Ibrahim Altay of Konya, President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). “A stronger multilateral system is needed. It will need to trust cities, work with them and design solutions that can be delivered through them. That is the present we are shaping every day and the future we are committed to delivering”
Emilia Saiz, secretary general of UCLG, said the summit’s priorities directly affect everyday life in cities.
“Public service delivery is about shaping communities in which people can live with dignity. That is precisely why the three priorities of this U20 cycle matter: they speak directly to the conditions that shape people’s daily lives and to the capacity of our cities to protect dignity, opportunity and belonging,” said Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of UCLG.
The conclusion of the U20 Summit also opened a week of climate-focused events in New York. Climate Week NYC runs from Sept. 20 through Sept. 27, with C40 mayors continuing work on extreme heat and weather resilience, clean air and sustainable housing while preparing for COP31.
Trump, meanwhile, left Gracie Mansion at 5:29 p.m. and headed to Trump Tower for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
His Tuesday schedule begins with remarks to the United Nations General Assembly at 9:55 a.m. At 10:40 a.m., Trump is scheduled to participate in a trilateral signing event with the prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland.
The president is scheduled to meet with the prime minister of the United Kingdom at 11:45 a.m. and the prime minister of Japan at 12:30 p.m. First Lady Melania Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks on Expanding Fostering the Future Together at 12:45 p.m.
Trump is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with the president of Ukraine at 1:15 p.m., participate in a Shield of the Americas event at 2:15 p.m. and participate in a multilateral meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council at 2:45 p.m.
The president is then scheduled to leave the United Nations and return to Trump Tower before traveling to the Lotte Palace Hotel.
At 7:15 p.m., Trump is scheduled to participate in an UNGA Leaders’ Reception at the Lotte Palace Hotel. At 7:40 p.m., he is scheduled for a pull-aside meeting with the acting president of Venezuela before departing New York for the White House.
The packed schedule follows a Monday meeting that put Trump and Mamdani together at Gracie Mansion despite their considerable political differences. Their discussions touched housing, immigration and federal cooperation at a moment when New York City is hosting political and diplomatic leaders from around the world.
Mamdani made clear that disagreements with the president will not end those conversations. Trump, for his part, left Gracie Mansion after publicly saying he wants New York’s mayor to succeed.
“I want him to be a great mayor, and he’s certainly got potential and great potential.”