New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is using his transition period to speak with numerous Democratic governors, all of whom share one thing in common—they have all clashed with President Trump.
Mr. Mamdani recently held conversations with Governors Wes Moore of Maryland, J. B. Pritzker of Illinois, and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, according to several sources who spoke with ABC News. These meetings come as no surprise, given that their states have been in Mr. Trump’s crosshairs, facing threats of National Guard deployments and increased immigration raids.
The mayor-elect is likely to face a contentious relationship with the White House. Leading up to the election, Mr. Trump labeled the democratic socialist a “communist” and threatened to cut federal funding if he won.
On Monday, Mr. Mamdani spoke with Governor Pritzker, who has had a tense back-and-forth with the president. The two strategized on how to approach Mr. Trump. Sources familiar with the call told Axios that among the topics discussed were Mr. Trump’s efforts to send troops into Chicago and how Mr. Mamdani could prepare for the possibility of military deployment in New York City.
According to sources, the discussions went beyond strategies for dealing with the president. Mr. Mamdani and Governor Moore talked about innovation in government. Mr. Mamdani praised Moore’s work to reduce bureaucratic barriers and support small businesses.
Last week, Governor Shapiro noted that he had been critical of some of Mr. Mamdani’s past comments on Israel but that they had cleared the air between them. Speaking to Semafor, Mr. Shapiro said, “Mamdani called me, and we had a very lengthy conversation, and I was very direct with him about how hurtful some of the words were that he used or that he allowed to be used around him.”
“He explained to me his perspective, which I thought was helpful for me to hear, and on some things, we agreed to disagree,” he added. “But I thought it was a healthy dialogue, and I appreciate the fact that he reached out.”
On Wednesday, the Mayor-elect also held a secret sit-down with Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at his office in Midtown. The meeting was captured by an eagle-eyed worker in a building across from his headquarters.
“We looked over after standup today and surprise, Elizabeth Warren and Mamdani in a deep debate,” wrote Kushal Byatnal, CEO of tech company Extend, along with a post on X featuring the two politicians engaged in deep discussion through the window.
Ms. Warren later posted a photo taken with Mr. Mamdani and his transition team co-chair Lina Khan on Instagram.
https://www.nysun.com/article/during-transition-to-new-york-mayor-mamdani-is-consulting-democratic-governors-who-clashed-with-trump