Trump Visits Gracie Mansion, Calls Mamdani a Potential “Great Mayor”

Trump meets New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion, the first presidential visit to the historic residence in 45 years, as the two discuss housing and immigration.

First Published: September 22, 2026, 9:46 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump visited New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion, saying he hoped the democratic socialist leader would be a “great mayor” for New York.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “While in New York City, I’m on the way to one of my favorite places in the World, Gracie Mansion. I spent lots of hours there over the years, with some great Mayors, some average Mayors, and some bad Mayors. It will be interesting to see how it looks now, invited by Mayor Mamdani. Look forward to it. MAKE NEW YORK CITY GREAT AGAIN! Trump” on September 21, 2026 at 3:53 PM ET.

This is Trump’s 13th message released today, and the last post was 1 hour ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 17 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 3 of his 21 posts over the last 30 days classified as Trump Business & Personal Brand posts.

The visit was the first by a sitting U.S. president to the historic riverside residence in 45 years, following Ronald Reagan, who met there with Mayor Ed Koch in 1981, according to theguardian. Trump and Mamdani held a closed-door meeting attended by Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles and Mamdani’s chief of staff Elle Bisgaard-Church, according to theguardian.

“I certainly hope he will be a great mayor. You have to understand — I want what’s good for New York. I want what’s good for the country … I want him to be a great mayor,” Trump said at a news conference following the meeting, according to theguardian.

Mamdani said the two held a “wide-ranging” discussion covering affordable housing and immigration. “I shared my very strong opinions about how we can keep New Yorkers safe, how we can keep immigrant New Yorker safe, and how important immigrant New Yorkers, especially Haitian New Yorkers, are — not only to the fabric of our city, but also to our city’s economy,” Mamdani said, according to theguardian. He added that he and Trump “have been very frank about the many disagreements we have.”

Asked whether he challenged Trump over his decision to ban CNN, MS Now, and Politico from White House grounds, Mamdani said he told the president that all members of the press would be welcome on the Gracie Mansion lawn, according to theguardian. Trump noted that outlets that had threatened to boycott him had not followed through.

The meeting came one day before Trump’s scheduled speech to the United Nations General Assembly, according to theguardian. Trump stood aside as Mamdani spoke from the lectern and gave him a double tap on the arm when the event concluded. Mamdani said he invited Trump because he was willing to work with anyone who could “deliver” for New Yorkers, and highlighted their shared interest in building new housing units at Sunnyside Yard in Queens, according to theguardian.