Neither Obama or Mamdani took questions from reporters in the room, they briefly waved to cameras outside the childcare center as they left the building.<\/p>\n
The two leaders spoke<\/a> prior to Election Day in November, according to three sources familiar with the call. Obama told Mamdani during the call that many people would be watching to see how effectively a democratic socialist could run the nation\u2019s largest city, and how many critics would be waiting to pounce if it went wrong. The former president also told Mamdani, whom he didn\u2019t endorse during the 2025 election cycle, to prioritize making good hires to his administration.<\/p>\n The conversation gave Mamdani a clearer sense of the difference between running and governing, a source familiar with the call told CNN at the time.<\/p>\n Former President Barack Obama, left, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Learning Through Play Pre-K in New York, on Saturday. – Angelina Katsanis\/AP<\/p>\n Mamdani has met face-to-face with President Donald Trump twice. They held seemingly collegial Oval Office<\/a> meetings last year<\/a> and earlier this year<\/a>. But Trump took to social media this week to write an all-caps post<\/a> stating that Mamdani is \u201cdestroying\u201d New York with his new pied-\u00e0-terre tax, which would require residents with second homes in the city valued over $5 million to face a surcharge.<\/p>\n Mamdani did not say whether he has spoken to Trump since the president\u2019s social media post, but said he wasn\u2019t surprised Trump disagreed with the policy.<\/p>\n CNN\u2019s Edward-Isaac Dovere contributed to this report. <\/p>\n![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/391f0df171042ca11a356ef0bb7fad28.jpeg\"\/)
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