Mamdani’s “Meet the Press” Interview Triggers New Debate Over Taxes, Trump Meeting and Governor Hochul’s Stance

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani sparked fresh controversy Sunday following a high-profile appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, where he addressed his tax-reform agenda, described his recent Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump, and weighed in on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s approach to state-level tax increases.

NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani

The interview, which quickly drew reactions across the political spectrum, offered the clearest picture yet of how Mamdani intends to navigate New York’s fiscal challenges once he takes office.

Pressed on whether he still supports raising taxes on high-income households and corporations, Mamdani was unequivocal.

“This is about affordability and fairness,” he said. “We cannot pretend that New York’s tax system is working when the burden falls heaviest on working-class homeowners while our highest earners and largest corporations are contributing far less than their fair share.”

Mamdani reiterated that the city’s fiscal struggles require structural changes, including shifting property-tax burdens away from outer-borough homeowners and toward areas with the highest-value properties. He noted that although critics claim the wealthy will flee New York, “the top 1% leave at a significantly lower rate than other income groups,” citing state data that he referenced during the interview.

He also left room for negotiation, saying he is “open to alternatives” if new revenue can be raised from “other pots of money” — but reaffirmed that substantial new funding will be necessary to support his agenda.

The mayor-elect also provided new details about his recently revealed Oval Office meeting with President Trump, describing it as “productive” despite their longstanding ideological clashes.

“We were not shy about where we disagree,” Mamdani said. “But we also focused on what it could look like to deliver on a shared understanding of the affordability crisis facing New Yorkers.”

The meeting touched on housing, childcare, grocery prices and utility costs — issues both the city and federal government could potentially collaborate on. Mamdani said Trump told him, “I expect to be helping you, not hurting you,” a remark the mayor-elect said he took at face value while emphasizing he would continue to challenge the administration where necessary.

Asked whether he still believes Trump’s past actions were authoritarian, Mamdani responded, “Everything I’ve said in the past I continue to believe,” underscoring the ideological gulf that remains between the two leaders.

During the interview, Mamdani also addressed Gov. Kathy Hochul’s stance on taxes — an issue that has become a growing point of friction between Albany and the incoming city administration.

Hochul has previously praised Mamdani as “reasonable,” but she has publicly pushed back on major tax increases, particularly those that would target corporations and high-income earners statewide. Mamdani acknowledged the disagreement while expressing confidence that the two could find common ground.

“We are allies on many fronts,” he said. “But the governor and I are not yet fully aligned on the scale of funding required to address New York’s crisis of affordability.”

Mamdani argued that the state will need to consider new revenue sources — whether through taxes or other mechanisms — to partner effectively with the city on housing, education and social-service programs. He also noted that some elements of his fiscal plan could be adjusted depending on what the state ultimately authorizes.

Sunday’s interview sets the stage for what could become one of the largest political fights of Mamdani’s early mayoralty. His tax agenda must pass the New York State Legislature, and its fate may hinge on Hochul’s willingness to revisit her past resistance to broad-based tax hikes.

With New Yorkers watching closely, Mamdani insisted his positions are driven not by ideology but by math.

“This is not about slogans. It’s about the fact that our revenue base is shrinking, our costs are rising, and New Yorkers are being squeezed every day,” he said. “We need a system that works for the people who make this city run.”

As Albany and City Hall prepare for high-stakes budget negotiations early next year, Mamdani’s remarks signal that he has no plans to retreat from the bold fiscal platform that carried him into office — even as he attempts to build working relationships with both Governor Hochul and President Trump.