Trump and NYC Mayor Mamdani meet at Gracie Mansion over Queens housing plan and immigration

Meeting at Gracie Mansion

US President Donald Trump met with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion on Monday for an hourlong discussion behind closed doors. The meeting took place in the mayoral residence's Yellow Parlor in front of an unlit fireplace, with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and mayoral adviser Elle Bisgaard-Church seated opposite the two leaders. Trump visited the city ahead of his scheduled address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. After the private session, both leaders appeared together on the mansion lawn for an unscheduled joint press conference. Trump described the visit to the residence as a homecoming and reflected on previous city administrations.

“I have seen some very good ones and some not so good. So I hope that you are one of them.”

Affordable housing proposal in Queens

The leaders focused a central portion of their conversation on city affordability and a plan to construct 12,000 housing units atop Sunnyside Yard in western Queens. The proposed development requires building a multibillion-dollar platform over the rail yard and would depend on federal regulatory approvals and funding. Mamdani stated that the two administrations agreed to move discussions regarding the rail yard project to the next level. Trump acknowledged the scale of the undertaking during the briefing.

“They are going to need a lot of federal approvals and probably some federal money to get it done. But it has always been a great location.”

Mamdani emphasized that his priority remained lowering everyday living expenses for residents across the five boroughs.

“Every time the president and I speak, we discuss the same topic: how to improve the lives of New Yorkers and how to use the power of government to address the cost of living crisis, grow our economy, and build a better and stronger New York.”

Disagreements over immigration and press access

Despite their collaborative tone on housing, the two men addressed policy disputes concerning immigration and federal operations. Mamdani challenged the federal decision to end Temporary Protected Status for immigrant populations, including Haitian and Syrian residents. Earlier in September, federal authorities conducted a monthlong enforcement operation in New York that resulted in more than 2,000 arrests. Mamdani also joined a legal challenge against administration rules that restrict green card access for immigrants utilizing public benefits. Tension extended to media policy when Trump defended his administration's decision to exclude CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from White House grounds, which prompted a lawsuit from the three news organizations.

Prior interactions and international diplomacy

The session was the third direct meeting between Trump and Mamdani following two meetings in Washington. During the 2025 mayoral campaign, the candidates traded insults, with Trump calling Mamdani a lunatic and Mamdani calling Trump a despot. They established a pragmatic dialogue during a November 2025 Oval Office meeting and a February 2026 White House follow-up, supplemented by ongoing text messages. In addition to his session with Trump, Mamdani met on Monday with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. That conversation centered on global anti-poverty initiatives and the participation of younger generations in public governance.