Kathmandu, Nov 18: New York City Mayor-elect Johran Mamdani has indicated he is willing to meet US President Donald Trump. Mamdani said his team has already reached out to the White House and that he is prepared to visit Washington if it helps address New York’s rising inflation and cuts to the SNAP food assistance program.

“I will present the struggles of New Yorkers to the president. Rising prices and shrinking support programs are harming the very people who depend on them. If no solution comes, I will continue to press,” Mamdani said.

President Trump said on Sunday that the mayor-elect had requested a meeting and that he welcomed the discussion. “The mayor of New York wants to meet with us and we’re going to find some solutions,” Trump said.

Mamdani has strongly opposed the SNAP cuts imposed during the recent government shutdown, saying they hit low-income families the hardest. He added that the president had promised lower living costs, but recent policies have worsened people’s burden.

The possible meeting is notable given the tense relationship between the two. During the campaign, Trump repeatedly criticized Mamdani, called him a “Communist,” questioned his citizenship, and threatened to cut federal funding or deploy federal troops to New York.

Despite past tensions, Trump said on Sunday, “We want everything to be OK for New Yorkers.” White House press secretary Caroline Levitt later confirmed that the president was referring to a possible meeting with Mamdani.