Sawt Falasteen - New York's incoming leftist mayor to face off with Trump

Mamdani, a 34-year-old political insurgent who came from nowhere to win leadership of America's biggest city, said Thursday he was "ready for whatever happens."

Sparks could fly when the self-declared Democratic Socialist comes face-to-face with the 79-year-old Republican.

Trump brands Mamdani a "communist" and has suggested the Ugandan-born New Yorker should be deported.

"It speaks volumes that (Friday) we have a communist coming to the White House," Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.

Both men are from the Queens area of New York City and both have a talent for political messaging, but with vastly different styles.

Trump has threatened to make life difficult for the young political upstart.

The Republican, whose presidency revolves around harsh anti-immigrant policies, has derided Mamdani's South Asian name.

More seriously for New York, Trump is threatening cuts to the city's federal funding alongside national guard deployments like those to other Democratic cities once Mamdani, set to be the first Muslim mayor, takes office.

- One million-plus votes -

Mamdani was elected after a campaign focused on the often crippling expenses facing New Yorkers and promising innovative -- if untested -- measures like rent freezes, free buses and experimental city-run grocery stores.

Virtually unknown at the start of the campaign, he became the first mayoral candidate to surpass the one-million-vote mark in New York since 1969.

But he has also been careful to placate centrists.

He named incumbent police commissioner Jessica Tisch -- seen as a safe pair of hands and reportedly popular with rank-and-file officers -- as his pick to run the police department.

He also named veteran bureaucrat Dean Fuleihan, 74, as his first deputy mayor.

While campaigning, the leftist leader positioned himself as part of the anti-Trump resistance.

Since then, Mamdani has struck a more conciliatory tone, stressing his desire to work with Trump on the cost of living.

"It's more critical than ever, given the national crisis of affordability, one that New Yorkers know very well...and the specific challenge many cities are facing in balancing public safety and steps taken by this administration," Mamdani said in front of City Hall on Thursday.

While noting that he and Trump had "many disagreements," Mamdani said that he would "pursue all avenues and meetings that can make our city affordable."

He added that it was customary for a newly elected New York mayor to meet the US president.

"Look for the outcome of that meeting to be something to the effect of, 'I think I can work with (him) -- but we will see how it goes and I'm hopeful -- we both want the city to succeed'," said Syracuse University politics professor Grant Reeher.

- 'Turn the volume up' -

Columbia University political analyst Lincoln Mitchell warned that Mamdani could walk into a Zelensky-like situation, where Trump watched his vice president, JD Vance, censure the wartime Ukrainian leader in front of the world's media.

"It certainly could -- you could see Vance just picking at him," he told AFP.

During his acceptance speech on winning the mayor's chair, Mamdani looked down the camera and said: "Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you -- turn the volume up!"

The White House confirmed that Trump had been watching.

K.Hassan--SF-PST