Here's the latest
• Exclusive CNN sitdown: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he believes the Democratic Party has lost sight of what’s important to voters and is hopeful that candidates focusing on affordability will get elected. In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, he also doubled down on his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• NYC meeting: Mamdani’s remarks to CNN followed his third meeting in less than a year with President Donald Trump. The mayor said he is willing to put aside political differences with Trump as long as it gives him a chance to advocate for the city. The full interview will air Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET on CNN International and CNN All Access.
• Topics: Mamdani, who hosted Trump at his official residence, said they discussed the safety of immigrants, affordability and building a better New York. Trump said he reminisced about visits to Gracie Mansion and also left the door open to supporting a massive housing development plan backed by the mayor.
Recap of what Mamdani told CNN about meeting with Trump, the midterm elections and more
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump have an unexpected rapport during their meetings — despite their opposing views — and that was on display in New York City as the president visited the mayor at Gracie Mansion. After the meeting, Mamdani sat down for an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
Here are the key lines from the chat:
On his meeting with Trump: Mamdani said he made it clear to Trump that he disagreed with the president’s ban of certain media outlets from the White House and warned him there would be no such restrictions during their Monday meeting at Gracie Mansion in New York City. If you’d like a deeper look, we recapped the key highlights from the mayor’s meeting with the president.
On the US midterm elections: Mamdani said the Democratic Party has lost sight of what is important to voters. He stressed that it is important for candidates to look beyond Trump and said he hopes that candidates focusing on affordability — as he did during his mayoral campaign — will get voter support. While several other self-identified democratic socialists are on the ballot in key midterm contests this November, Mamdani did not commit to campaigning for them and said he is focused on the “potholes on the road here in New York City.”
On the WBD-Paramount merger: Today, the path cleared for a merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance to take effect. But Mamdani expressed concern on how it would affect New York City, pointing to the many film and media workers who live in the city and the consumers who he said might find prices up and trust down due to corporate consolidation. He also questioned how the federal government allowed the merger to go forward. Warner Bros. Discovery is CNN’s parent company.
On Benjamin Netanyahu: Mamdani doubled down on his criticism of the Israeli prime minister, calling him a war criminal while acknowledging he does not have the power to arrest him as he previously threatened to do during the mayoral campaign.
CNN’S Gloria Pazmino, Maria Sole Campinoti and Elise Hammond contributed to this report.
Mamdani dismisses conservative "fear mongering" over wave of democratic socialism
Though Democratic socialists are having a moment in American politics, conservative leaders have decried the movement’s leaders and midterm candidates as an arm of the radical left or, in the words of President Donald Trump, “godless Communists.”
But New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview on Monday that he proudly adopts the label of democratic socialist, dismissing the criticism as an attempt to stoke division.
Since his stunning mayoral race win last year, Mamdani has emerged as a new power broker in the Democratic Party.
Several of the political candidates he has championed have enjoyed campaign successes, including controversial Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier.
Mamdani said he believes many New Yorkers, particularly the working class, are focused more on his ability to deliver on his promises than on the political label.
“To me, what democratic socialism is — it’s to transform democracy from an ideal or a value into something material,” he continued. “It’s to extend it from the ballot box into the rest of people’s lives.”
Watch the full interview on Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET on CNN International and CNN All Access.
Mamdani explains why he is willing to meet with Trump despite political differences
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday he is willing to put aside political differences with President Donald Trump as long as it gives him a chance to advocate for the needs of New Yorkers and the city.
Trump has derided Mamdani as “my little communist” and a “lunatic.” Mamdani has called Trump a “despot” and a “fascist.”
But the insults have not stopped them from having surprisingly friendly meetings in person.
Mamdani told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour he wasn’t exactly surprised that the meetings have been friendly so far.
Mamdani’s aides often describe his meetings with the president as political wins because the mayor has not been forced to compromise any of his political positions. The latest example of that was on display Monday as he shared his disagreement with Trump’s media ban in front of the entire local press corps with the president standing by his side.
The full interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour will air Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET on CNN International and CNN All Access.
CNN’s Ana Bickford and Claire Calzonetti contributed to this post.
Mamdani doubles down on criticism of Netanyahu, calling him a "war criminal"
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani doubled down on his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a war criminal while acknowledging he does not have the power to arrest him as he previously threatened to do during the mayoral campaign.
“When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, I have described him as I believe him to be — a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people,” Mamdani told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Monday.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders in 2024, accusing them of war crimes during and after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel — allegations that Israel has denied.
During his campaign for mayor, Mamdani said he would direct the New York Police Department to arrest Netanyahu if he traveled to the city. Mamdani, who is an ardent critic of the Israeli government, has since backed away from that pledge, saying he doesn’t have the legal authority to enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant.
As New York City prepares to host the United Nations General Assembly this week, Mamdani said he met with Mayor Jan van Zanen of The Hague, adding the two discussed the importance of the rule of law.
“If the International Criminal Court deems someone worthy of an arrest because of a violation of those laws, then who are we to say that anyone should be above that? And I think very clearly that everyone should be held accountable to it,” Mamdani said.
Netanyahu is scheduled to address the UN on Thursday. Several demonstrations are scheduled in protest to his visit; Mamdani has said he does not plan to participate in any of the planned demonstrations.
CNN’s Ana Bickford and Claire Calzonetti contributed to this post.
Mamdani on why democratic socialist policies could drive voter turnout in midterm election
New York City Mayor Mamdani said the Democratic Party has lost sight of what is important to voters and is hopeful that candidates focusing on affordability — as he did during his mayoral campaign — will get voter support.
“I think this will absolutely translate on a national level, and the reason that I believe that is while we are an exceptional city, as the greatest city in the world, we also know that the struggles that New Yorkers are facing are the struggles that working-class Americans are facing across the country,” Mamdani said during an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
Mamdani added that at the national level, the Democratic Party had lots its ambition.
“I do think it is a sad fact that to find ambition in the Democratic Party, we often have to look to history books, and I’m hopeful that that is changing in this moment,” he said.
Mamdani said candidates running in the midterms need to look beyond challenging the Trump administration.
CNN’s Ana Bickford and Claire Calzonetti contributed to this post.
Mamdani doesn't commit to midterm campaigning, but stresses importance of election
Several other self-identified democratic socialists are on the ballot in key midterm contests this November, but New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is not committing to traveling to campaign for them, he said in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
Mamdani said his focus is on “potholes on the road here in New York City,” but acknowledged what is at stake in the upcoming election.
“Whether we have a Democratic House or a Democratic Senate, it has an impact on New York City, and I am hopeful that this November we will see successes across the country,” he said.
The mayor has endorsed progressive candidates who have had success in their primaries, including Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist who defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th Congressional District.
Mamdani also endorsed Brad Lander, a former Democratic Socialists of America member who unseated incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in the state’s 10th Congressional District.
Elsewhere, progressive candidates are capturing voters’ attention, with candidates like Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for a critical Senate seat in Michigan, but has stressed he does not consider himself a democratic socialist.
What Mamdani says about the WBD-Paramount merger
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is “incredibly concerned” with the impending merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance and its potential impacts on the city, he told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
He expressed concern for industry workers and rising prices due to corporate consolidation.
The mayor questioned the federal government’s approval of the merger and commended efforts from New York Attorney General Letitia James in the fight for worker protections amid the merger.
The deal will combine Paramount’s film and television studios, CBS and the Paramount+ streamer with Warner’s studios, HBO, CNN and other cable networks.
Warner Bros. Discovery is CNN’s parent company.
CNN’s Brian Stelter and Andrew Kirell contributed to this post.
Mamdani says he told Trump he disagreed with ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico
During his meeting with President Donald Trump today, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made it clear he disagreed with the president’s ban of certain media outlets and warned him there would be no restrictions during Monday’s events.
“What I said is that I believe in a free press, and I believe in the importance of engaging in questions from all, no matter whether they are based in a compliment or on a critique,” Mamdani told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour during a sit-down interview Monday. “You saw that we spoke to representatives from CNN, from MS NOW, from Politico, from Crain’s, from The City Reporter, from a wide variety, and that is something that will continue under my administration, because I believe it’s a critical part of the fourth estate being able to do its job.”
The mayor reflected on his own relationship with the press, saying he remains open to all outlets, even ones that are frequently critical of him.
“You know you could pick up a copy of the New York Post almost every day of the week, and you’d find me there on the cover, and I’ll still take questions from the New York Post because I think that that’s also what it means to be in New York City politics — to engage with New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.
While he remains accessible, Mamdani, who holds near daily press conferences, has also placed some of his own limits on access. Often, events are pooled or open to invited media. Sometimes, Mamdani hosts events for “new media,” including social media influencers and bloggers.
CNN’s Ana Bickford and Claire Calzonetti contributed to this post.
Key things we learned after Trump and Mamdani's New York City meeting
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump covered a range of topics at their meeting this afternoon, including a major affordable housing project and immigration.
Mamdani said he invited the president to Gracie Mansion while Trump is in town for the United Nations General Assembly this week. It’s the first time a sitting president has made an official visit to the mansion since the 1980s.
The two took questions after their private discussion.
Here’s what we learned:
- Mamdani said he is willing to “work with anyone no matter what party they belong to” and reiterated that his focus is on delivering for New Yorkers.
- The Sunnyside Yards project was a key part of the conversation, both Trump and Mamdani said. The massive development plan would create thousands of housing units atop a 180-acre railyard in Queens where the city has long sought to build housing.
- Mamdani said he and Trump agreed to “set up a new level of that conversation between our housing and operations team at City Hall and the White House team” on the project, which would require billions of dollars in federal funding.
- Trump, for his part, suggested he would consider backing the Sunnyside Yards plan, telling reporters, “maybe they have a shot at doing it.” The president said it would require “a lot of federal approvals and probably some federal money to do it. But it’s always been a great location.”
- Immigration was another key discussion point, with Mamdani saying he shared “very strong opinions” with Trump on keeping immigrant New Yorkers safe. The mayor said he discussed the importance of immigrants, especially Haitian New Yorkers, to the “fabric of our city and to our city’s economy.”
- Mamdani also said he raised the issue of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and made it clear the program was a priority for the city.
- Following Trump’s ban of CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House, Mamdani said he told Trump that he is going to have all members of the media present at Gracie Mansion today. Trump, however, called the ban an “obligation.”
- Trump reminisced about past visits to Gracie Mansion during his time with Mamdani inside the historic mayoral home, Mamdani told reporters. The president thanked Mamdani for the invitation and said he hopes he will be a “great” mayor.
CNN’s Gloria Pazmino, Aditi Sangal, Elizabeth Wolfe, Molly English, Donald Judd, Avni Trivedi and Julia Benbrook contributed reporting.
Today's conversation covered everything from immigration to Trump's courthouse wedding
The closed-door conversation between President Donald Trump and Mayor Zohran Mamdani ranged from contentious topics like immigration to the classic New York backdrop of Trump’s second marriage.
The pair had a “wide-ranging conversation” that touched on the New York Police Department and Temporary Protected Status, a federal humanitarian program on which the two leaders strongly disagree.
But the mayor said he also recently learned Trump’s civil ceremony in his 1993 marriage to actress Marla Maples was held in the Blue Room of City Hall. The room is now used for mayoral press conferences and meetings.
During the civil ceremony, Trump paid the $30 marriage license fee — as all New Yorkers who marry at City Hall must — and the couple was married by then-mayor David Dinkins before they toasted with champagne, according to a New York Times report.
Trump and Maples share a daughter, Tiffany Trump, and divorced in 1999.
Mamdani also pointed out Trump’s appreciation for the historic Gracie Mansion.
Trump calls ban on certain media outlets his "obligation"
President Donald Trump, standing next to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, addressed his ban on certain media outlets from the White House, calling it an “obligation.”
“I have an obligation not to allow them into another very special house,” Trump said outside Gracie Mansion. “The White House is the most special of all houses.”
“I have that obligation so we’ll see how it works out,” the president added.
Mamdani said he told Trump that he was going to have all members of the media present Monday, even as the president has banned CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House. The president’s comments came hours after the three outlets filed a critical First Amendment lawsuit to restore their access.
When reporters were told that Trump’s time was up — and that he’d be leaving while the mayor took a few more questions — the president instead remained at Mamdani’s side at the podium and continued to address the cameras.
The mayor then told reporters, “The president is saying he can answer a few more questions.”
Mamdani and Trump disagree on immigration, but mayor stands by ongoing conversations
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is clear that he and President Donald Trump don’t agree on everything, including immigration.
The mayor was asked about his relationship with the president, despite the fact that Trump’s immigration policies are impacting people in New York.
Mamdani pointed to the case of Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia University student, who was released after being detained by ICE following a meeting between Mamdani and Trump earlier this year. At the time, Mamdani said Trump called him, writing: “He has just informed me that she will be released imminently.”
“If a meeting can be the difference between detention and dignity, it’s a meeting worth taking,” Mamdani said this afternoon.
Mamdani raised the issue of Temporary Protected Status with Trump
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he raised the issue of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) during his meeting with President Donald Trump today.
Mamdani said his chief of staff, Elle Bisgaard-Church, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles were present during the discussion.
The mayor said he told Trump the program is critical for many New Yorkers, including the status holders themselves, but also for different stakeholders like developers and executives in healthcare and hospitality, among others.
“I made very clear this is a priority for me, a priority for our city, and I appreciated the consideration,” he added.
What is TPS: Temporary Protected Status is a form of humanitarian relief. For 35 years, TPS has allowed nationals of select countries residing in the United States to work legally without the fear of deportation if they can’t be returned to their home nations because of natural disasters, political unrest or conflict, among other reasons. The Trump administration has tried to unwind the program for Haitians and Syrians.
Mamdani says he spoke to Trump about the safety of immigrants in NYC
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he shared “very strong opinions” with President Donald Trump during today’s meeting on keeping immigrant New Yorkers safe.
“I appreciate the conversation we had and the consideration to that,” Mamdani said.
Trump suggests he'd consider backing affordable housing project after Mamdani meeting
President Donald Trump left the door open Monday to supporting a massive development plan backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a joint press avail at Gracie Mansion, telling reporters, “Maybe they have a shot at doing it.”
As CNN reported earlier Monday, Mamdani has previously pitched Trump on the massive housing project, which would require billions in federal funding and would create thousands of housing units atop the Sunnyside Yard in Queens — a 180-acre railyard where the city has long sought to build housing.
“I can tell you that Sunnyside’s a big job — I’ve been watching that for 35 years,” the president said outside Gracie Mansion this afternoon. “Everybody’s wanted to do something with Sunnyside Yards — well, we met at the White House a couple of times; we met at the White House, the mayor brought that up, the possibility of doing Sunnyside Yards. It’s a very, I would say, that was a very federal-oriented job.”
In a follow-up exchange, Trump cited his experience as a real estate developer, boasting, “I know a lot about affordability because I did that housing, I did many, many low-income and moderate-income buildings over the years, and had great success with it.”
Mamdani defends dialogue with Trump and says focus is on fighting for New Yorkers
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood by his decision to engage with President Donald Trump while other Democratic leaders have been criticized for meeting with senior members of the administration.
“I committed over the course of the campaign, as well as while being in office, that I would meet with anyone, work with anyone that could deliver for New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.
The mayor said his focus is on delivering for the city, so having a conversation about “potentially building 12,000 homes, about the importance of our Haitian neighbors here in this city, those are conversations that are worthwhile to have.”
Mamdani confirmed he invited the president, and said Trump had told him about the fond memories he has about Gracie Mansion, so Mamdani thought it would be a “good location for a continuation of the conversation.”
Trump thanks Mamdani for invitation to Gracie Mansion, hopes he'll be a "great" mayor
President Donald Trump thanked Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his invitation to Gracie Mansion, saying he hopes Mamdani “will be a great” mayor.
The president said he had been at Gracie Mansion several times with “numerous different mayors.”
“So I just want to thank the mayor for the invitation,” the president continued, later heaping praise on the mayor’s residence.
“I can say from my standpoint, I love New York, and this represents New York,” Trump said.
Mamdani comes back to podium after walking Trump to motorcade
After taking several questions about their meeting today, President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani say goodbye to reporters and walked away from the podium together.
Mamdani appeared to walk Trump to his motorcade before returning to take more questions.
Trump shared his memories of Gracie Mansion with Mamdani, mayor says
President Donald Trump reminisced about past visits to Gracie Mansion during his conversation with Mayor Zohran Mamdani inside the historic mayoral home, Mamdani told reporters.
Earlier today, Trump said in a Truth Social post that Gracie Mansion is one of his favorite places. “I spent lots of hours there over the years, with some great Mayors, some average Mayors, and some bad Mayors,” Trump wrote.
The president said he is at the property today at Mamdani’s invitation.
Mamdani said he told Trump all media members will be present despite White House ban
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he told President Donald Trump that he is going to have all members of the media present at Gracie Mansion as the president has banned CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House.
“I told the president that we’re going to have all of the members of the press here on the lawn, and that is something that I believe in — is everyone, no matter the opinion or the critique, that we engage,” Mamdani said.
