(AP) \u2014 Former President\u00a0Barack Obama\u00a0met with New York Mayor\u00a0Zohran Mamdani\u00a0for the first time on Saturday at a child care center where they read to preschoolers and led a singalong.<\/p>\n
The meeting comes as Mamdani, a democratic socialist who marked his\u00a0100th day in office\u00a0just over a week ago, is also trying to build a working relationship with Republican President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
Obama and Mamdani did not take questions after reading the book \u201cAlone and Together\u201d to the children and leading a singalong of \u201cThe Wheels on the Bus.\u201d<\/p>\n
The former two-term president and standard-bearer for the Democratic Party has offered to be a\u00a0sounding board\u00a0for Mamdani, 34, whose star power, youth and progressive agenda has made him stand out in Democratic politics.<\/p>\n
Mamdani\u00a0took office\u00a0in January after a campaign centered on making New York City a more affordable place to live, centering his agenda on refocusing the vast power of government toward helping the city\u2019s struggling working class.<\/p>\n
Mamdani has\u00a0met twice with Trump\u00a0at the White House in November and February to discuss issues affecting New York.<\/p>\n
Despite those friendly meetings, their relationship has shown signs of strain recently, with Trump posting on social media Thursday that Mamdani was \u201cDESTROYING New York\u201d with his taxing policies and threatened to pull federal funding for the city.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n
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