New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stunned viewers Sunday by admitting he has been privately texting President Donald Trump for months—despite publicly clashing with him throughout the campaign.
Appearing on ABC’s This Week, Mamdani revealed that President Trump personally gave him his phone number following a White House meeting in November. While the mayor refused to share the messages themselves, he confirmed the conversations are ongoing.
“He gave me his number,” Mamdani said. “Those conversations are private. But they always come back to the same issue—New York City.”
The disclosure raised eyebrows given the bitter war of words between the two leaders prior to the election. At the time, Mamdani and Trump frequently attacked one another in interviews and online, offering sharply different visions for the future of America’s largest city.
President Trump, a lifelong New Yorker who built his fortune in real estate, repeatedly criticized Mamdani’s embrace of democratic socialism. Trump warned voters that policies such as rent freezes, free child care, and taxpayer-funded transportation could cripple New York’s economy and chase away jobs.
Despite those warnings, Mamdani now says he has continued pushing those same ideas—this time behind closed doors.
“This isn’t about having a personal relationship,” Mamdani said of his communications with Trump. “It’s about delivering for the people who live in this city.”
The mayor explained that his approach to the Trump administration is transactional, not personal.
“When the president pursues policies that hurt New York, I’ll fight them,” Mamdani said. “When he supports policies that help the city, I’m willing to work together. As mayor, I have a responsibility to make that case—no matter who I’m talking to.”
Taxes remain one of the biggest sources of tension between the two men.
Mamdani has made raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations a cornerstone of his agenda—an idea Trump has long argued will drive investment out of New York. The issue carries added symbolism, given that Trump earned much of his wealth building and developing properties across the city.
During the interview, Mamdani defended his position by pointing to New York’s economic imbalance.
“This city has created enormous prosperity,” he said. “We should be proud of that. But we also need to make sure regular New Yorkers benefit from it.”
Mamdani noted that while New York is often celebrated as a global financial hub, many residents are struggling to get by.
“This is the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in history,” he said. “Yet one in four New Yorkers is living in poverty. That reality can’t be ignored.”
Under Mamdani’s plan, the city would impose a new 2 percent tax on income over $1 million and increase taxes on corporations operating locally. The mayor says the revenue would be used to relieve financial pressure on lower-income residents.
At the same time, Mamdani insisted he does not want businesses or high earners to flee the city.
“We want them to stay,” he said. “The goal isn’t to push people out. It’s to make New York a city where everyone can afford to live.”
The revelation of private text messages between Mayor Mamdani and President Trump offers a rare glimpse into behind-the-scenes politics—one where starkly different ideologies collide, even as quiet conversations continue out of public view.