Mamdani said he is hoping to find common ground with Trump, despite their major differences.
The press conference came less than a day after the president made the announcement about Friday's meeting at the White House.
"Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran "Kwame" Mamdani, has asked for a meeting. We have agreed that this meeting will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st," Trump said in a post on social media.
In response to the Truth Social post, Mamdani said. "I'm not concerned about this meeting, I view this meeting as an opportunity to make my case." He added, "It behooves me to leave no stone unturned in making the city more affordable."
In his reasoning for the visit he called the visit customary.
"My team reached out to the White House because I will work with anyone to make this city more affordable," Mamdani said. "I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work with him on any agenda that benefits New Yorkers."
When asked about the meeting on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "It speaks volumes that tomorrow we have a communist coming to the White House," adding, "I think it's very telling and speaks to the fact that President Trump is willing to meet with anyone and talk to anyone."
The mayor-elect noted that one out of every four New Yorkers live in poverty and one out of five struggle to afford the bus.
However, Mamdani said one in 10 New Yorkers who voted for Trump in 2024 voted for him in 2025, so he expressed optimism they could focus on the same thing: concerns Americans have about the high cost of living.
He ended his press conference by saying, "I'll stand up for New Yorkers every single day."
Trump has for months slammed Mamdani, falsely labeling him as a "communist" and predicting the ruin of his hometown, New York, if the Democratic Socialist was elected. He also threatened to deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a naturalized American citizen, and to pull federal money from the city.
Mamdani rose from an obscure state lawmaker to become a social media star and symbol of the resistance against Trump during his mayoral campaign. He campaigned on an array of progressive policies and a message that was stark in its opposition to the aggressive, anti-immigrant agenda Trump has rolled out in his second White House term.
The 34-year-old appealed to a broad cross-section of New Yorkers and defeated one of its political heavyweights, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, by nearly 9 percentage points.
In his election night victory speech, Mamdani said he wanted New York to show the country how to defeat the president. But the day after, while speaking about his plans for "Trump-proofing" New York once he takes office in January, the incoming mayor also said he was willing to work with anyone, including the president, if it can help New Yorkers.
Political observers say both men know New York needs Washington, and Washington needs New York.
Both men have something to gain, but who has more to lose?
"If it fails, Mayor-elect Mamdani is out there saying, 'look I tried.' I think the president has a lot more to lose," said Columbia University professor Ester Fuchs. "President Trump is all about the deal. If he doesn't walk away from this meeting without a deal, that's a loser."
Experts say Mamdani needs to be prepared for anything, especially after the stunning hostile Oval Office altercation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
But Fuchs thinks with Mamdani, it will look different.
"You have to expect the president to send the mixed messages, and then you have to go in with the big smile on your face to do this negotiation," Fuchs said. "I don't believe he will take any bait at this meeting. He's too smart, he's too disciplined. If you watched his campaign, very disciplined. Afterwards, all bets are off. It really depends upon what happens."
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