New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed that he occasionally texts President Donald Trump during a conversation with Jimmy Kimmel but drew the line when the late-night host suggested sending the president a selfie.
Mamdani appeared on Monday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, part of the ABC late-night show's weeklong run at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The Brooklyn run began on 28 September and is scheduled through 2 October, with guests including Howard Stern, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Crystal, Paul McCartney, and Senator Bernie Sanders.
During his conversation with Kimmel, Mamdani discussed his dealings with Trump despite their significant political differences. He said the two have communicated about issues affecting New York, including the proposed Sunnyside Yard development in Queens and the status of Haitian New Yorkers.
The exchange took a lighter turn when Kimmel asked Mamdani whether he would send Trump a selfie of the two of them. Mamdani declined, delivering the line about loving housing more.
Mamdani Explains His Trump Connection
Kimmel pointed to the mayor's seemingly cordial interactions with the president and asked whether the two had immediately 'hit it off.' Kimmel then played a clip of Mamdani standing beside Trump at Gracie Mansion as the president spoke, with the camera closing in on the mayor's serious expression. 'I mean, it is remarkable,' Kimmel said. 'I watch that, and I go, "OK, this is not a guy I'd want to play poker with."'
Mamdani pushed back on the idea that their relationship was based on personal chemistry. 'The president and I have many disagreements,' Mamdani said, explaining that they share an interest in New York and that he has tried to use their meetings to focus on issues affecting city residents.
'You text with the president, I've read?' Kimmel then pressed. 'From time to time we're in communication, and it's about Sunnyside Yard, and it's about how we can deliver for the city,' he replied. According to Mamdani, the proposed Queens development could create about 12,000 homes and 30,000 jobs.
Housing Comes Before a Trump Selfie
Kimmel then turned the revelation into a more playful exchange. He asked whether the mayor would text Trump a selfie of himself and Kimmel from the studio.
Mamdani immediately declined. 'Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing more,' he replied. The mayor's office has described Sunnyside Yard as an opportunity to build a new neighbourhood over an existing rail yard. City officials say the project would require a federal partnership because of its scale and cost.
Haitian New Yorkers Also Came Up
Mamdani also told Kimmel he had raised the situation facing Haitian New Yorkers with Trump, saying they need greater stability after Haiti's Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections ended.
'One of the other things the president mentioned that we spoke about, that I care very deeply about, is Haitian New Yorkers,' Mamdani said. 'They're part of the fabric of this city.'
In an August statement, the mayor's office said a federal court order allowed the termination of deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants covered by TPS. The office also said New York City was required under federal law to review the work authorisation of Haitian TPS holders affected by the change.
