New Delhi: United States President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood side by side on the lawn of Gracie Mansion, showing a willingness to work together even as they remain far apart on several issues.
The joint press conference on 21 September was followed by a private meeting between the two leaders at the mayor’s residence. They discussed housing, immigration, and public safety, focusing largely on issues affecting New Yorkers.
During the press interaction, Mamdani was asked about Trump’s decision to ban several media outlets 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, we engage,” Mamdani said.
Responding to his comments on press access, Trump said that he was not worried about calls to boycott him.
“It’s interesting because they said they were going to boycott me, but they never boycotted me. So I wasn’t very worried about that. Look at all that press,” Trump said.
“If you look at CNN, it’s fake news. That’s the Democratic National Committee. But it’s just biased news. And I think that these outlets have an obligation to be fair.”
A joint cause
The main focus of the meeting was Sunnyside Yard, a long-discussed plan to build about 12,000 homes over a rail yard in Queens. The proposal, estimated at $21 billion, would also include parks, schools and other facilities.
For Mamdani, the project is a major part of his plan to increase affordable housing. For Trump, it could become an example of federal and city governments working together on a large infrastructural project.
“Sunnyside’s a big job. I’ve been watching that for 35 years. Everybody’s wanted to do something with Sunnyside Yard. I would say that it’s a very federal-oriented job; 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. So maybe they have a shot at doing it,” Trump said.
Mamdani added that the discussion was about how they can make it easier to afford life in the city.
The two sides did not announce a federal funding commitment or a timeline for construction. Instead, they agreed to move discussions to a more technical level, involving City Hall’s housing and operations teams and the White House.
The project would require federal approvals and funding, as well as a large platform over the existing rail tracks.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)