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<\/p>\nMayor Zohran Mamdani and former President Barack Obama met for the first time in person on Saturday at a New York City school, where they read a storybook to young children as the mayor navigates a strained relationship with Donald Trump<\/p>\n
Former President Barack Obama, left, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani read a book to children(Image: AP)<\/p>\n
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former President Barack Obama came together at a New York City school on Saturday – and there were plenty of laughs to be had.<\/p>\n
The pair held their first face-to-face meeting at daycare center Learning Through Play Pre-K in New York, where they connected with local families following a private conversation and even sang ‘The Wheels on the Bus’.<\/p>\n
The two were captured in photos reading a storybook to enthusiastic young children, while putting aside their ongoing tensions with Donald Trump. It comes after Trump made a disturbing sex comment on stage that silenced the audience<\/a>.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Trump faces fresh health fears as he sparks ‘leg brace’ theory after adopting wild stance <\/a>READ MORE: Trump’s ‘lunatic’ answer when asked what his favorite Bible verse is causes outrage<\/a><\/p>\n Sources indicate that the NYC mayor’s team had spent months working to arrange the sit-down, making it a top priority in recent weeks, with hopes of building on the momentum from the mayor’s first 100 days in office.<\/p>\n In one hilarious moment, the kids revealed that they knew Mamdani’s name. When Obama pushed them for his first name, they replied: “Mayor!”<\/p>\n When the children started singing ‘Soda Pop’ from hit animated movie KPop Demon Hunters, Obama couldn’t resist a little dig at Mamdani.<\/p>\n Obama and Mayor Zohran Mamdani pose for a photo with children at Learning Through Play Pre-K in New York(Image: AP)<\/p>\n After Mamdani asked the kids what song they were singing, Obama said: “I just want you to know that it\u2019s great that you just made the mayor feel really old.”<\/p>\n Mamdani replied: “Very old.”<\/p>\n The duo got down on the floor to read to the kids, with Obama admitting: “Remember in the book it says we’re strong together? You\u2019re going to have to help me get up\u2026. Because I\u2019m old.”<\/p>\n The get-together follows a phone call Obama made to Mamdani back in November, just ahead of the election.<\/p>\n During that conversation, the former president commended Mamdani’s “impressive” campaign and pledged to act as a “sounding board” should he secure victory.<\/p>\n According to The New York Times, the two also discussed the possibility of an in-person meeting, though Washington had been floated as a potential location at that time.<\/p>\n Obama’s gesture of goodwill during the campaign period came after Mamdani’s 2013 social media outburst against the then-president, branding him “pretty damn evil.”<\/p>\n The politicians had a lot of laughter together(Image: AP)<\/p>\n Considering the former president represents the Democratic Party establishment, some members of which remained skeptical of the young socialist during the 2025 New York City mayoral race, the November 1 conversation between Mamdani and Obama was broadly viewed as noteworthy.<\/p>\n The municipal government’s multi-billion-dollar budget deficit represents one of several daunting civic challenges that Mamdani is currently confronting. He’s also engaging with President Trump, with whom Obama is well-acquainted.<\/p>\n When it comes to Trump, the Obama-Mamdani meeting could offer an opportunity for them to share understanding about their particularly fraught dealings with the Republican president.<\/p>\n Yet Mamdani faces potential risks, as Trump, who has characterized Obama as a “terrible” and “ignorant” president, may disapprove of the mayor’s decision to meet with the former commander-in-chief.<\/p>\n The Obama-Mamdani meeting was arranged as the mayor’s previously amicable relationship with the president began displaying signs of tension.<\/p>\n Mamdani recently provoked Trump’s ire by announcing a proposal to levy a pied-\u00e0-terre tax on secondary residences worth over $5 million, following their surprising White House discussions in November and February.<\/p>\n In a Thursday Truth Social post, Trump \u2014 a former real estate developer who has maintained ties with Mamdani over property-related issues \u2014 alleged that the mayor is “DESTROYING New York” through taxation, and warned that he would halt federal government “contributing” to the city.<\/p>\n![\"Obama](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0_Mamdani-Obama-26108725790950.jpg\")
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