Democrat Zohran Mamdani, a young promise of the American left, is preparing this Wednesday to be sworn in as mayor of New York, a position that will certainly put him on a collision course with Republican President Donald Trump. After midnight, as tens of thousands celebrate the arrival of 2026 in Times Square, Mamdani will take the oath of office at Old City Hall, a disused historic subway station in Manhattan.
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The choice of the location, an architectural masterpiece, is no accident: It reflects his commitment to the working class, his office said, after the 34-year-old Democrat campaigned on a promise to reduce the city’s rising cost of living. But it remains an open question whether Mamdani, virtually unknown a year ago, will be able to deliver on his ambitious program, which includes rent freezes, child care and free public buses.
What Trump does could be a deciding factor. The Republican president, also from New York, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the two men had a surprisingly cordial meeting at the White House in November.
— It couldn’t have been better from Mamdani’s point of view — said Lincoln Mitchell, political analyst and professor at Columbia University, also warning of the possibility that the relationship could quickly deteriorate.
A possible source of tension would be Trump’s migration operations, while Mamdani – of Indian origin and who will be New York’s first Muslim mayor – has promised to protect immigrant communities.
Before the November 4 election, the president also threatened to cut off federal funding to New York if Mamdani won, calling the then-candidate a “crazy communist.” As mayor-elect, Mamdani said he believed Trump was a fascist.
Mamdani will begin his four-term mandate after being sworn in before New York Attorney General Letitia James, who convicted Trump of fraud in 2024. Then, on Thursday at noon, another inauguration ceremony will take place at City Hall, presided over by two figures from the American left, Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in the presence of 4,000 guests. Additionally, Mamdani’s team organized public screening areas for the event, during a large street party.
After taking office, the new mayor will move from the apartment he rents in Queens to the luxurious official residence in Manhattan, he said, for security reasons. Born in Uganda to a family of Indian descent, Mamdani moved to New York at the age of seven and received an elite education, with a relatively brief political career: he served as a New York state legislator before being elected mayor. To compensate for his lack of experience, he surrounds himself with advisors from previous mayors and the administration of former President Joe Biden. Furthermore, the newcomer also opened a dialogue with business leaders.
Defender of the Palestinian cause and very critical of Israel, Mamdani will have to reassure the Jewish community of his inclusive leadership. Recently, a staffer resigned from her job at City Hall after it was discovered that she had posted anti-Semitic tweets years ago.
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