Mayor Zohran Mamdani Refuses Jimmy Kimmel’s Request to Text Trump a Selfie of Them
Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s Brooklyn-based late-night show and discussed his dealings with President Donald Trump. Kimmel asked whether the two had developed a friendly relationship and whether Mamdani could help him connect with the president; Mamdani said their discussions focus on helping New Yorkers.
Mamdani said he communicates with Trump about federal approval for the proposed Sunnyside Yard development in Queens, which is expected to provide about 12,000 homes and 30,000 jobs. He also raised the need for stability for Haitian New Yorkers after their protected status ended. When Kimmel asked to text Trump a selfie of them together, Mamdani declined, saying he cared more about housing.
- Mamdani said his contact with Trump focuses on New York City.
- Sunnyside Yard is proposed to bring 12,000 homes and 30,000 jobs.
- He declined Kimmel’s request to text Trump a selfie.
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Zohran Mamdani is a New York politician who recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel's late-night television show to discuss his dealings with President Donald Trump. Kimmel asked whether the two had developed a friendly relationship and whether Mamdani could help him make a personal connection with the president.
Mamdani's interactions with Trump centre on a major development project called Sunnyside Yard in Queens, which would provide approximately 12,000 new homes and create around 30,000 jobs if approved. Federal approval is needed for the project, meaning Trump's administration has considerable influence over its future. Mamdani has also raised concerns about stability for Haitian New Yorkers whose protected immigration status recently ended.
When Kimmel asked Mamdani to send Trump a selfie of the two of them together as a friendly gesture, Mamdani declined. He explained that his priority was securing tangible benefits for New Yorkers—such as housing and jobs—rather than cultivating a personal relationship with the president through informal gestures.