Could \u201cCats\u201d be changing his stripes?<\/p>\n
Influential billionaire GOP donor John Catsimatidis \u2014 a fierce critic of socialist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani<\/a> \u2014 now says he wants New York conservatives to work with the incoming administration to ensure the Big Apple\u2019s success.<\/p>\n The grocery store magnate hosted a round-table style panel at his WABC radio studio on Monday with right-leaning bigwigs like former NYPD Chief of Department John Chell<\/a> and one-time Republican mayoral candidate Fernando Mateo.<\/p>\n \u201cThe one thing that we all hold in common is that we all love New York\u2026 and we want New York to thrive like it always has,\u201d the Gristedes supermarket owner said during the unusual press conference.<\/p>\n John Catsimatidis hosted a panel where right-leaning politicos and business leaders tried to reconcile with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. Stephen Yang for the NY Post<\/p>\n The bizarre event was originally billed as the rollout of a new \u201cwatchdog group\u201d to monitor Mamdani, but Catsimatidis backpedaled on that verbiage at showtime.<\/p>\n Instead of acting as an oversight group eyeing the new City Hall administration, the group of politicos and business leaders said they would work to reconcile how to deal with the incoming lefty leader despite their differences. <\/p>\n John Chell, former Gov. David Paterson, John Catsimatidis, Dominic Carter, Kathryn Wylde, Hank Sheinkopf and Suzanne Miller (left to right) speak at the roundtable discussion. Stephen Yang for the NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to keep working, we have to be funded, and we have to protect this city, because without public safety, we don\u2019t have any of this,\u201d warned Chell.<\/p>\n Power-broker Kathryn Wylde,<\/a> CEO and president of Partnership for New York City, a business lobbying nonprofit, was the most optimistic of the bunch.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re excited about the affordability agenda. I think particularly with regard to housing and childcare,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cI look forward to seeing him in \u2018Marty Supreme\u2019,\u201d Mamdani said of Catsimatidis\u2019 upcoming movie cameo. Michael Brochstein\/ZUMA Press Wire \/ SplashNews.com<\/p>\n Wylde has notably been warmer than some of her colleagues to Mamdani as he\u2019s sought to make inroads with the business community \u2013 but she has remained wary about his proposals to increase taxes on the wealthy and corporations.<\/p>\n \u201cI think all of us recognize that additional government spending and raising taxes just increases unaffordability in New York,\u201d she said, emphasizing that the business class was open to exploring other avenues to fund the democratic socialist\u2019s lofty agenda.<\/p>\n Mamdani \u2014 who confirmed Monday his plans to meet with President Trump<\/a> \u2014 responded to reporters\u2019 questions about the panel at an unrelated press conference.<\/p>\n