President Donald Trump allowed New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to answer Breitbart News’s question as to whether he is the leader of the Democrat Party and if Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have to follow Mamdani’s lead.
Trump threw the question to Mamdani during their Oval Office meeting on the heels of the mayor-elect’s victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) and Republican Curtis Sliwa earlier this month, and the self-identified democratic socialist said he is focused on governing the Big Apple.
“I hope they have great leaders. This is a man that right now, I think, is focused on New York City,” Trump said. “I really think there’s a chance to do a great job. We’re going to help him, but I really think he has a chance to do a great job, but I’ll let you answer that: Do you consider yourself the leader of the Democrats? I think it’s more appropriate for him.”
Mamdani said he views himself as the city’s next mayor and stopped short of describing what he perceives to be his status in the party.
“I consider myself the next mayor of New York City, and I keep my horizons firmly on New York City, and I appreciate the meeting with the President, which focused again on the five boroughs and whether New Yorkers could afford to live there,” he said.
Trump chimed in once more to emphasize that leading the city of New York is “a big deal” and a job he “would have loved” to have.
“By the way, being the mayor of New York City is a big deal. I always said, you know, one of the things I would have loved to be someday is the mayor of New York City,” he said.
“Being the mayor of New York, and especially now, because I think you’re at really a turning point, one way or the other. It could go great, or it could go in a different direction. And I think you really have a chance to make it great,” he added.
Trump and Mamdani shook hands after answering the question.
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