By James Fanelli

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Trump are set to meet Thursday in Washington, D.C.

A mayoral spokeswoman said Mamdani traveled to Washington for the meeting, which wasn't on his public schedule. Housing construction is expected to be one of the topics the two discuss, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Thursday's meeting comes several months after the two men from opposite ends of the political spectrum had their first sit down shortly after Mamdani was elected. That encounter was announced in advance and was highly anticipated after they had traded shots during New York City's mayoral race.

Despite their political differences, Trump praised Mamdani, a Democratic socialist. "I feel very confident that he can do a very good job," Trump told reporters after the meeting. "I think he is going to surprise some conservative people."

Mamdani, standing in the Oval Office next to Trump, said at the time that he appreciated his visit with the president. When a reporter pressed Mamdani over a previous comment calling Trump a despot, the president interjected, "I've been called much worse than a despot, so it's not that insulting."

The two politicians have both said they continue to talk to one another by phone. "The new communist mayor of New York City, I think he's a nice guy, actually speak to him a lot," Trump said during his State of the Union address on Tuesday. "Bad policy, but nice guy."

Mamdani has declined to get into the specifics of what they discuss on the calls. "We have conversations that are always focused on how to keep the city moving forward," he said this week.

The two have found common ground on making New York City more affordable. Trump, who hails from Queens, still owns real estate in the city. Mamdani won office after a campaign focused on the high cost of living in New York City. During their November meeting, Trump and Mamdani said they spoke about lowering the cost of electricity.

Write to James Fanelli at james.fanelli@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 26, 2026 14:27 ET (19:27 GMT)

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