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What We Know with Max Foster
Trump, Mamdani Set To Meet For First Time At White House; Trump Confirms Thursday Deadline For Ukraine To Agree To Administration's Plan To End War; Extremist Israeli Settlers Torch Cars In West Bank Attack; Trump Insists He's Not Threatening Death to Lawmakers; CNN Finds Evidence Tanzanian Police Killed Protesters; Trump Meets With NYC Mayor-Elect Mamdani At White House. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired November 21, 2025 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:27]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: New York's next mayor about to enter the Oval Office while Ukraine faces a major new deadline.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
At any moment now, Zohran Mamdani is to meet face to face with President Donald Trump for the first time. Mr. Trump has branded him a communist and
even suggested he could have him arrested if he defies U.S. immigration officers. Whilst Mamdani, who's actually a Democratic socialist, has
criticized the president's ICE raids and economic policies, the meeting could be crucial for the future of New York, as Mamdani seeks help in
tackling what he calls the city's affordability crisis.
CNN's Betsy Klein is in Washington.
And we've been waiting for this one, haven't we? Because they define two completely different things.
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right. I mean, we are going to see the head of the MAGA Make America Great Again, conservative
movement meeting face to face with a self-described Democratic socialist, the Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. And this is going to be their first face to
face meeting. It also is going to pose an enormous political test for Mamdani.
And both sides have cast this meeting essentially as a signal that they're willing to work together to talk to just about anyone on just about
anything but political tensions really are looming here. President Trump, however, previewed the meeting today. He said in an interview with Fox News
that he believed it was going to be, quote, "quite civil". And he really praised Mamdani win. He said that he ran a good race.
Now Mamdani is coming to the Oval Office on the heels of what's really been a decisive victory. He believes that he has a mandate to enact a very
sweeping agenda, and that includes making public buses free, opening government-run grocery stores, a plan to create New York City's first
universal child care program, among other affordability measures.
But he also recognizes just how high the stakes are. Our colleague Gloria Pazmino in New York mentioned that Mamdani spent most of Thursday preparing
for this oval office meeting, and he sought counsel from top officials who have already worked with President Trump, who understand what makes him
tick. He spoke with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as
well as the Reverend Al Sharpton.
And in those meetings, according to our reporting, they discussed how to approach the meeting as well as how best to communicate with the president.
Now, Mamdani has said that he believes this meeting is going to be an opportunity to advocate for affordability in New York.
And the president, again, striking a very conciliatory tone ahead of this meeting, said that they both share the common goal of making New York
strong. But when we think about Mamdani constituency, he comes from a deep blue city and CNN exit polls really reflect who he is representing here, 27
percent of voters in the New York mayoral election just a couple of weeks ago approved of Trump, compared to 70 percent of those voters who did not,
and a majority of voters, 58 percent, said that Trump was not a factor in their vote, but 32 percent said that they did cast their ballot to express
opposition to the president.
So, all of that to watch here will also be watching whether President Trump is able to find a new political foil in Mamdani after going after some old
political rivals -- Max.
FOSTER: Just briefly, what are we going to see and when? What have you been told?
KLEIN: Well, as of now, this meeting is supposed to start at 3:00. It is closed to press. But the president was asked whether they might allow in
cameras. That is something that happens very often.
The White House will call reporters together. And he said that he believes they will, and he thinks it would probably be okay with Mamdani. So, we'll
have to see if this does open up. We'll bring it to you live.
FOSTER: We have actually learned since you've been speaking that he's arrived at the White House. According to a source. So what's happening?
Betsy, we'll leave you to watch.
U.S. President Trump says he's giving Ukraine, meanwhile, until next Thursday to respond to the White House proposal to bring an end to the war
with Russia. Trump told Fox News he will not extend that deadline as his administration puts pressure on Kyiv after nearly four years of bloodshed.
Sources tell CNN the peace plan is modeled after the agreement reached in Gaza. The president also added that he has no plans to roll back the
sanctions that he placed on Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is promising to work calmly with U.S. and European leaders in pushing the
plan forward, he says. The coming days are critical for his country and the millions of people weary of war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This is one of the most difficult moments in our history. The pressure on Ukraine is
now at its most intense. Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner, or 28
difficult points, or an extremely harsh winter.
[15:05:05]
The most difficult and further risks are life without freedom, without dignity, without justice, and believing someone who has already attacked us
twice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: CNN has obtained a draft of the 28-point proposal. It calls on Ukraine to cede territory areas that have been seized by Russia, such as
Crimea. Donetsk would be recognized as de facto Russian by the United States, a major reversal of longstanding U.S. policy. Under the proposal,
Ukraine would pledge that it won't join NATO, too. The plan also calls for a significant reduction in the size of Ukraine's military.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he believes the plan could lead to peace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We have the text of the U.S. peace plan. We received it through existing channels of
communication with the U.S. administration. I believe it can be used as the basis of a final peaceful settlement, but it has not been discussed with us
in detail and I can guess why. The reason is the same. The U.S. administration has so far failed to secure Ukraine's consent. Ukraine is
against it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Last hour I spoke to Orysia Lutsevych. She's the deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House. She told me the deal has
few, if any, concessions on the Russian side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ORYSIA LUTSEVYCH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, RUSSIA AND EURASIA PROGRAMME, CHATHAM HOUSE: This deal definitely looks like a brainchild of the Kremlin because
it includes all their objectives as they were launching what they call a special military operation, an unprovoked aggression of Ukraine.
And indeed, what is happening, they are struggling to make any military gains of that land, and they are trying to get it through a backdoor.
Channels and diplomacy. Obviously, Europeans already came up with the statement that includes leaders of the coalition of the willing U.K.,
France, Germany saying that the starting point of any negotiations should be the current front line and Ukrainian army should not be retreating from
its sovereign territory.
FOSTER: So a compromise might be to, you know, somewhere between what the Russians are asking, what the Europeans are asking, perhaps on that. What
about this idea that Ukraine needs to reduce the size of its military?
LUTSEVYCH: Well, we have to look at and see which points of that proposal abridge Ukrainian sovereignty, because we've discussed that what they
propose is actually to, not to restore Ukrainian territorial integrity, but also it infringes on several points of Ukrainian sovereignty, such as the
size of its army and also the fact that it should never join the NATO alliance, even in the future. And what kind of weapon systems Ukraine
should be able to procure from the West?
All of this, it's none of Russia's business. What is quite striking? That it has no limitations or demilitarization on the Russian side. If we want
to de-conflict the two sides, you would imagine a point in this proposal where Russian army also is retreating, scaling down in size. And stopping
some of its military modernization as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: CNN U.S. national security correspondent Kylie Atwood is with us from Washington.
We've got this deadline. Trump told Fox he's not going to budge on it, but that's putting major pressure on Europe. I guess that might be the point,
because they want to come back with a counter proposal. I mean, there's some red lines have been crossed here.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. That's right. You're seeing the Ukrainians take a very calculated and delicate tone.
President Zelensky saying that he certainly doesn't want to be perceived as not trying to engage here, saying in a tweet after a phone call that lasted
for about an hour with Vice President Vance that the Ukrainians are going to be working on this 24/7 in the near future here saying that he was
briefed on the plan that the United States had put together by Zelenskyy and by Vance, and also, of course, by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who had
just visited Ukraine.
But the Europeans, I think, are trying to figure out what to do right now. I just got off the phone with a European diplomat who was describing that
they're trying to understand, first of all, how much maneuverability the United States sees here. They've obviously put this plan forth. Trump is
saying that the Ukrainians have until Thursday to accept it, but they do think that there is some room for some back and forth with the Ukrainians
and with the Europeans here.
They also recognize, however, that time is of the essence that if they're going to be able to effectively get in the way of barreling towards an
agreement on this plan, forcing Ukraine to accept this plan, they need to engage with the United States on some really significant points in the near
future here.
[15:10:10]
So I think we could very well see some conversations between Europeans and U.S. officials in the coming days here. And so that is obviously a space
that we will continue to watch as we try and figure out what, you know, a final plan could look like, that the two sides could actually agree upon.
That doesn't seem to overwhelmingly include these maximalist positions that the Russians have been putting on the table for months and years now.
FOSTER: Okay, Kylie, thank you.
We're going to turn now to the occupied West Bank, where extremist settlers have set scores of cars on fire in the town of Huwara. About 150 cars were
destroyed at a scrap yard on Thursday. The owner of the scrapyard says at least a dozen people attacked the site.
This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security meeting on rising settler violence.
The escalation of violence is gaining more international reaction. Nic Robertson has the latest on the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It's clearly an issue that's caught international attention, the U.N. has said since 2006, that's
the highest level of settler violence on average, more than eight attacks a day.
Last night, there were more attacks, not just that scrap dealer who had 150 cars incinerated. This is a scrap dealership, but so many Palestinians rely
on these secondhand parts to keep their aging vehicles running in the West Bank. So, this was a source of income for his family. But it's a tactic
that we've seen the settlers turning to more in in recent weeks, targeting businesses. It was a dairy distribution processing plant that was targeted
last week.
And as I say, some of the other places that were targeted last night, again by settlers were businesses. I was in the West Bank just yesterday with a
group of, Israeli peace activists, and they had taken us there to show a pattern where they say these groups of settlers that the prime minister
calls a small group of extremists are now moving out of their targeting of sort of rural Palestinian communities, small farmers, and are moving their
attacks to sort of be more close to towns and putting more pressure on Palestinian towns and businesses.
And I think one of the things that not just the Palestinians in the West Bank look for, or the Israeli peace activists look for, would be for the
prime minister to instruct his defense minister, Israel Katz, who when he took over the post late last year, one of the first things he did was to
remove administrative detention for the settlers. Administrative detention is something that Israel uses a lot to hold Palestinians in detention in
the West Bank, but many people see the absence of that administrative detention for settlers as an implicit open door for them to continue, that
there's no penalty for what they're doing.
Now, we've heard Avi Bluth, the IDF commander for the West Bank, calling the settlers -- this violence, calling them anarchists. They've
spraypainted graffiti during one of their attacks, saying they don't care what he says. And I think it's risen to the level of concern here that you
now have opposition figures saying, look, we need to treat these this settler violence, treat it as we would Palestinian terrorists, call it
Jewish terrorism and treat them as such.
So, there's -- there is a lot more public debate and discourse about it. But aside from that government meeting last night, we're not seeing steps
that people could interpret as curtailing, the free hand the settlers perceive that they have.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Our Nic Robertson there.
Turning to U.S. politics now. President Trump insists he's not threatening death to six Democratic lawmakers after they appeared in a video urging
military members to refuse unlawful orders. Nonetheless, outrage is growing over his social media posts that appear to do just that.
One lawmaker in that video, Maggie Goodlander, spoke earlier with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. She said, quote, it's very telling that the president has
become so unglued by a simple statement of federal law. And she called Trump's threats of violence part of a disturbing trend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MAGGIE GOODLANDER (D-NH): Look, when the president of the United States, our commander in chief, makes threats of violence against me and
other members of Congress, that has a real impact. He's the most powerful person in the world. And we this is part of a really disturbing trend,
Wolf, of political violence in our country, political violence that should be condemned by everybody.
[15:15:01]
There's no place for it in the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Arlette Saenz has been tracking this story for us. I mean, they're digging in on both sides, aren't they? And, you know, they've both got very
strong views.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And Republicans have really been mixed in their response to what President Donald Trump said when he likened
those six Democratic lawmakers behavior to sedition, saying it could be punishable by death. Theres really been a wide range of Republican reaction
up here on Capitol Hill.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he didn't agree with those comments, even though he criticized the Democrats for posting that video in the first
place, while House Speaker Mike Johnson conceded that he would not have used the same language as President Donald Trump, even though hours before
Johnson said that he had defended the president.
But I caught up with several Republican lawmakers earlier today who said it was inappropriate of the president to use that highly charged language,
while one defended what the president had said.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Obviously, I don't think that this is these are crimes punishable by death or any of that. Okay. But
what the point that is that -- that we need to emphasize here is that members of Congress and the Senate in the House should not be telling
troops to disobey orders.
REP. TIM BURCHETT (R-TN): I don't think that really matters at this point. I think it's such a pitch that its just white noise.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I think what they did was despicable. I don't agree with the president that they should be put in jail. But I do believe
what they did was despicable and they did explain themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Now this these comments from President Trump have rattled Democrats up here on Capitol Hill. Senator Chris Murphy very bluntly said that
comments like this suggesting that lawmakers should be facing death for these comments, that that is something that will just incite greater
political violence in this country.
We know that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have both talked to the U.S. Capitol police about offering
additional security for those six Democrats.
But these Democrats say that they are undeterred in the face of President Donald Trump's threats. And as you heard from Maggie Goodlander there, they
would not be intimidated -- Max.
FOSTER: Arlette, thank you.
Coming up, despite calls from victims of a quick release of the Epstein files, they -- the wait continues. Next, I'll speak to a lawyer
representing dozens of convicted sex offenders, victims and survivors.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Now to a CNN exclusive investigation that's uncovered stunning evidence that police in Tanzania killed protesters following a disputed
October election that rocked the country. Thousands of people took to the streets angry over election results, calling it unfair.
But a forensic examination of videos and satellite imagery has now revealed police security forces opened fire on demonstrating civilians, a warning
viewers may find the upcoming content graphic and disturbing.
CNN's Larry Madowo reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Election Day Tanzania, blood disease across the country, the streets have become a hunting ground.
Security Forces crack down on protesters angry at the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan amid claims of an unfair election.
Three weeks on the true scale of the bloodshed is still emerging. In an exclusive investigation, CNN analyzed dozens of videos showing protesters
shot, and found evidence linking security forces to the killing of civilians, as well as signs of mass graves that conceal the extent of their
brutality.
The main opposition party says at least 2,000 people were killed during the week-long protests.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need our freedom in my country. Why are you killing us?
MADOWO (voice-over): With eyewitnesses now too terrified to speak out. CNN alongside open-source investigator Benjamin Strick has examined what
happened across the country. In the City of Arusha, forensic analysis of video reveals how two people died near this intersection.
It's mid-afternoon, a group of protesters gather at this corner as armed police approach. Note the man in the red T-shirt holding what appears to be
a rock who will come back to.
At this point, the police are here on the map. Two minutes later, chaos as people run down the street.
The police advance to the intersection. Then shots ring out. The woman in purple, carrying a stick and a rock, is hit by a bullet in the back. You
can see the hole in the fabric of her shirt here. She falls instantly. People try to help her as she lies bleeding more gun.
A minute later, across the street, a group of men takes cover, among them, the man with the red T-shirt.
From a video filmed on the other side of the road, we can see police in our position at the intersection, around 100 meters away. A protestor shouts
profanity in their direction, and then the man in red is shot in the head. Audio forensic analysis of these videos confirms the gun shots that killed
both of these protesters came from the direction and distance of the police position.
The woman in purple died from her injuries in the street. She was three months pregnant and was a breadwinner for her husband and two young
children, according to a source close to her family. The man's wife shrieks in grief over his lifeless body. These two lives lost are just a fraction
of the blood shed across Tanzania over late October and early November, as the government tries to stamp out the protests.
In Mwanza, Tanzania's second largest city, grim scenes outside the regional hospital. Bodies piled up. One doctor who was too afraid to speak on
camera, told CNN the morgue was full from those kills during the crackdown, saying on one day alone, there were quote, fort trips with piles of dead
bodies taken to the mortuary until it was full, just for others to be piled outside.
He said, when doctors tried to save the wounded, quote, the police would refuse and take them to the mortuary directly, for them to die there.
In Dar es Salaam, another morgue overwhelmed. The government called this video fake, but CNN verified the location as Mwananyamala hospital.
One woman told CNN she recognized her missing brother among the dozens of bodies spread across the floor. The scale of the killing may never be fully
revealed. Police are accused of dumping bodies in mass graves in an effort to conceal numbers. At this location, north of Dar es Salaam, a video shows
a wide area of freshly turned soil.
[15:25:04]
This match has testimony shared with CNN that young men were ordered to dig the site for mass burials, while CNN cannot independently verify the
existence of mass graves. Satellite imagery at the Kondo Cemetery before and after the protests shows disturbance in the soil, which supports the
allegation.
The Tanzanian police and government have so far refused to confirm a death toll and dismiss the opposition's numbers as, quote, hugely exaggerated.
They did not respond to CNN's request for comment for this story. For this devastated family, a burial of the missing loved one's belongings is the
nearest they will get to closure for now, as the final fate of so many of Tanzania's young people remains unknown.
MADOWO: President Hassan has launched a commission of inquiry into the unrest across Tanzania, but she drew new outrage by suggesting that the
protesters were paid to go on the streets. Hundreds of young people have been charged with treason, an offense that carries the death penalty if
found guilty.
Larry Madowo, CNN, Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: An update on our top story. We haven't seen any pictures yet, but a source says New York City's mayor-elect is now at the White House for a
high stakes meeting with President Donald Trump. Zohran Mamdani is seeking help for making his city more affordable from a president who once
threatened to cut funding to New York if Mamdani was elected, branding him a communist.
The Democratic socialist has pledged to tackle the high cost of living and economic inequality.
CNN's Gloria Pazmino is in New York.
We can see cameras outside the White House, can't we? But none inside. What does that tell us, do you think, about what to expect from this meeting?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Max, I think it tells us that they are taking this minute by minute, and I think the decision on whether or not
we're going to get to see inside the Oval Office, where the two are meeting, likely depends on how the private portion of the meeting goes.
That's kind of how the White House operates.
But we know that Mamdani has arrived at the White House. He is traveling with a very small group of aides. His chief of staff, the woman responsible
for helping to engineer his primary campaign, which he won here in New York City, as well as one of his senior advisers. They are accompanying him to
this White House meeting. Also, he is traveling with his press secretary.
And I do know that Zohran Mamdani is expected to come out and speak with reporters after this meeting. We'll see whether or not they open up the
doors so that the pool cameras can get a look inside and hear from perhaps both of them after this meeting.
But certainly a high stakes moment, frankly, for both of them. Mamdani, of course, going in just weeks before he takes office here in New York City,
he's made it very clear that the relationship with the White House is a very important one. And that's just not unique to Mamdani. That's you --
that's the case of every sitting mayor of New York City, the largest city here in the United States, the financial capital of the country, and the
place that the president is from where he made his name and his success.
So, we know that whatever happens in New York City is also of major interest to the president. But we have seen over the last several months
how these two men have been speaking about each other, right? Donald Trump has called Mamdani a communist, even though he is a Democratic socialist.
He's called him unhinged. He's called him a lunatic.
The Republican Party really looking to make Mamdani sort of the face of the Democratic Party in this moment. And I think Donald Trump is going into
this trying to figure out how to use this moment. The president is also under pressure, you know, he is looking to shift the conversation, shift
the narrative, as we know that he often tries and tends to do. And that's going to be part of this conversation.
And we'll see whether or not Mamdani can sort of stay on message, something that he's usually very good at doing. And, you know, sort of charm the
president, if you will, something that I hear from a lot of people here in New York opponents of Mamdani who have met with him usually walk away
saying that they enjoyed the conversation and that he was sort of charming and intelligent. And we'll see if he has that effect with the president at
the White House today.
FOSTER: Yeah, but with the president, who doesn't like to be outcharmed. I'm just wondering if that's the -- that's the challenge here. You know,
they both want to be the star. They've both got huge amounts to disagree on. Is Mamdani sophisticated enough, experienced enough to find that gap
and make this meeting work, do you think?
PAZMINO: You're absolutely correct. These are two huge personalities. And you're right. You know, I think part of the reason that Trump is sort of so
interested in Mamdani as a political figure is because we know that Trump responds to winners and losers, right? And Mamdani, after all, ran a very
good campaign here in New York City that took out a political dynasty in former Governor Andrew Cuomo. And we've heard Trump sort of speak in, good
terms about that effort. He's called the race for Mamdani a good race. He talked about how hard that is.
So, I think that, you know, I would -- I would bet to say that Trump is likely sort of impressed by the way that Mamdani has run this this
election.
But you're right. You know, Mamdani is very young. He is inexperienced. He's only been in political office for a short period of time, and we have
seen just how these interactions between Trump and other leaders in a place like the oval office, with the cameras and the microphones trained on, you
can sort of go off the rails depending on how he approaches it. So yes, it's a huge political test for Mamdani. And I think a lot of people here in
New York are watching this because they want him to go in there and sort of you know, be very New York about it, which is that you're going to put up a
fight and you're not going to just kind of smile and go along to get along.
[15:35:01]
So, the next hour or so, I think will be sort of a defining test, political test early in this Mamdani administration, even before he takes office.
FOSTER: Yeah, we've learned not to predict anything that happens in the White House, right, Gloria? So we'll wait and see what happens. Thank you.
Now it's the final moments of trade on Wall Street. The stocks are bouncing back for the end of the week. It's been a down week overall, but the Dow
Jones is seeing some big gains today.
This is our business breakout.
Investors waiting for key data about the U.S. economy. They'll have to wait a bit longer as well. It seems the monthly U.S. inflation report will not
be released for October because of the government shutdown. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said workers were unable to retroactively collect certain
price data from last month. The next inflation report will be released on December the 18th, though.
Hundreds of U.S. air traffic controllers will receive a $10,000 bonus for working during the shutdown. This after a directive from Donald Trump. The
award will be sent to 776 employees who maintain perfect attendance despite not being paid, whilst the government was closed.
And a copy of the first ever issue of Superman is being the most expensive comic ever sold, it fetched more than $9 million at auction. Three brothers
from northern California discovered the prize comic whilst clearing out their mother's attic. It was published way back in 1939.
In the United States, affordability has become a new buzzword, and its reflected in new data and polling that shows a growing number of Americans
have a negative view of the U.S. economy.
CNN's John King visited the working class city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to see how residents there are coping with inflation, for this edition of
"All Over the Map".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bethlehem is blue collar, full of people living paycheck to paycheck. Full of people who come
to Jenique Jones for help.
JENIQUE JONES, PENNSYLVANIA DISTRICT 7 VOTER: My business assists people in repairing their credit, managing their finances and basically being
financially organized.
KING: So if you're busy, times are tough.
JONES: Absolutely, completely.
KING: And you're busy right now?
JONES: Super busy.
KING: What kind of stories are you hearing?
JONES: My husband lost all of his overtime. My kid's daycare went up. Can't afford the cost of food. Using credit cards for everyday expenses. No money
left after their bills are paid. Pretty much just a whole bunch of financial mess.
KING: We changed presidents at the beginning of the year.
JONES: We did.
KING: And the guy who moved into the White House said that he was going to fix it. Several times he said it would be easy.
JONES: Absolutely.
KING: Has he fixed it?
JONES: Absolutely not. I'm definitely waiting for him to fix it.
KING (voice-over): Jones is a three-time Trump voter, but she says he has simply failed to keep his promise to lower the cost of living.
JONES: I'm very let down by that. Very, very let down because I feel like it's only gotten worse.
KING: Pennsylvania ranks highest among the states in terms of food inflation. Grocery prices here up more than 8 percent this past year. That
is way above the national average.
Housing costs are another piece of the affordability challenge. A one- bedroom apartment here in Bethlehem runs about $1,900 a month on average. That is up nearly 6 percent from last year.
KING (voice-over): This is Gentleman's Barbershop. Customers gripe a lot about rising costs. Ashley Ruiz tries to help.
ASHLEY RUIZ, PENNSYLVANIA DISTRICT 7 VOTER: I'll tell the client, hey, if you get it cut a little shorter, the haircut will have a longer lifeline.
Because I want them to feel like they're getting a service that will last longer so their money goes further.
KING (voice-over): She gets it because she does the tough math at home. Rent, food, childcare.
KING: All up.
RUIZ: They are a lot higher. So I try to make wiser decisions and hope that things will get better.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: I'm going to leave that there for a moment. Let's go live to Washington, D.C., where President Trump is meeting with the New York mayor-
elect.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The mayor, he really ran an incredible race against a lot of smart people, starting with the early
primaries, against some very tough people, very smart people. And he beat them, and he beat them easily.
And I congratulated him and we talked about some things in very strong common, like housing and getting housing built, and food prices and the
price of oil is coming way down that anything I do is going to be good for New York. If I can get prices down, it's good for New York. And we've got
them down -- way down from last year. We have -- as you know, I've been saying to a lot of people, Walmart said That thanksgiving this year is
exactly 25 percent less than last year. So that's good for New York, good for everybody.
But I just want to congratulate, I think you're going to have hopefully a really great mayor. The better he does, the happier I am. I will say
there's no difference in party. There's no difference in anything. And we're going to be helping him to make everybody's dream come true. Having a
strong and very safe New York. And congratulations, Mr. Mayor.
MAYOR-ELECT ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK: Thank you, Mr. President.
TRUMP: Thank you. I appreciate it, please.
[15:40:00]
MAMDANI: I appreciated the meeting with the president. And as he said, it was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love,
which is New York city and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers. The 8.5 million people who call our city their home, who are
struggling to afford life in the most expensive city in the United States of America.
We spoke about rent. We spoke about groceries. We spoke about utilities. We spoke about the different ways in which people are being pushed out.
And I appreciated the time with the president. I appreciated the conversation. I look forward to working together to deliver that
affordability for New Yorkers.
TRUMP: Thank you very much. Any questions? Please?
REPORTER: Steven Nelson from "The New York Post". I've got a question for you. And then also one for mayor.
TRUMP: Sure.
REPORTER: For you, you referred to Mr. Mamdani as a communist. You describe, why you feel that way. And also, will you do anything to stop him
from arresting Prime Minister Netanyahu if he visits New York?
TRUMP: Well, we didn't discuss your second part of the question. And on your first part, I mean, he's got views that are a little out there, but
who knows? I mean, we're going to see what works or -- he's going to change also.
We all change. I change a lot. Change a lot from when I first came to office.
It's now quite a while ago. It's quite a while. My first term was great.
We had the greatest economy in the history of our country. We're doing even better now. We're doing much better now than we did even in the first term.
And I can tell you some of my views have changed. And we had discussions on some things. I'm not going to discuss what they were, but that I feel very
confident that he can do a very good job.
I think he's going to be -- I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually, and some very liberal people. He won't
surprise them because they already like him.
NELSON: And Mr. Trump, it sounds like you've had a productive discussion, but just days ago, you referred to President Trump as a despot who betrayed
the country. You said you'd be his worst nightmare and accused him of having a fascist agenda. Are you planning to retract any of his remarks in
order to improve your relationship?
MAMDANI: I think both President Trump and I, we are very clear about our positions and our views. And what I really appreciate about the president
is the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in
serving New Yorkers. And frankly, that is something that could transform the lives of the eight and a half million people who are currently
struggling under a cost of living crisis with one in four living in poverty.
And the meeting came back again and again to what it could look like to lift those New Yorkers out of struggle and start to deliver them a city
that they could do more than just struggle to afford it but actually start to live in it.
TRUMP: And I've been called much worse than a despot, so it's not that insulting. I think he'll change his mind after we get to working together.
Yes, please.
REPORTER: I would like to ask you a question about the Middle East. You said that Hezbollah in Lebanon is not in a good position, and Lebanon now
is the final unresolved after Gaza and Syria. Given your assessment, like what do you say for the Lebanese today?
TRUMP: Yes.
REPORTER: It's the state in Lebanon. And what is your next move to push toward disarmament?
TRUMP: Sure. Well, we are pushing for total disarmament of Hamas and frankly, everybody else. And we actually have peace in the Middle East. As
you know, the king of Saudi Arabia just left yesterday.
We had some great meetings and he's made a contribution toward the United States of more than a trillion dollars. We have now over $20 trillion
coming in. No country has ever had anything like that, not even close.
If you go to 2 trillion or 1 trillion, it's a lot. We have $20 or $21 trillion. I think that Hezbollah has been a problem and Lebanon, big
problem.
We're working with Lebanon. We're working with everybody in the Middle East. That's another thing I think we have in common.
We want to see peace in the Middle East. And we actually have now for the first time peace in the Middle East after 3,000 years. And now we're going
to refine it.
And I think you're going to see some very positive things happen.
REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)
TRUMP: Oh, sure. Oh, I would I would do that.
Absolutely. And if the mayor would like to be here for that meeting, because I know he feels very strongly. I think you feel very, very strongly
about peace in the Middle East.
MAMDANI: We desperately want it. And that's something that I shared with the president that when I spoke to New Yorkers who had voted for the
president last November on Hillside Avenue and Fordham Road, I asked them why I heard again and again, two major reasons.
One was that they wanted an end to forever wars. They wanted an end to the taxpayer dollars. We had funding violations of human rights. And they
wanted to address the cost of living crisis.
And I appreciated the chance to discuss both of those things.
TRUMP: You said a lot of my voters actually voted for him. And I'm OK with that.
REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)
TRUMP: I'll do that. I'll sign it. Give it to me. I'll sign it in a minute.
That's pretty good.
REPORTER: Mr. President, you threatened to send federal troops to New York City. You both have differences when it comes to ICE agents in New York
City.
TRUMP: Right.
REPORTER: Mr. Mamdani, you called ICE a rogue government entity.
[15:45:02]
I wonder how you reconcile your differences on both of those issues.
TRUMP: Well, I think we're going to work them out. And I think that if we have known murderers and known drug dealers and some very bad people, you
know, we want to get them out. And the mayor wants to have peace.
We discussed this at great length, actually, maybe more than anything else. He wants to have a safe New York. Ultimately, a safe New York is going to
be a great New York.
If it's not safe, no matter how well we do with pricing and with anything else, we can talk about anything you want. If you don't have safe streets,
it's not going to be a success. So we're going to work together. We're going to make sure that if there are horrible people there, we want to get
them out. I think he wants to get them out maybe more than I do. So we'll work together.
We discussed it at great length.
Yes, please.
REPORTER: We have two questions, if I may. One for you, Mr. President, from the BBC, and a second, but first of all, for the Mayor-Elect. You're both
from different parts of the political spectrum.
You're both populist, though, and I just wondered to what extent the President's campaign style, his techniques, his social media, inspired any
parts of your campaign?
MAMDANI: Well, I actually told the President that, you know, so much of the focus of our campaign has been on the cost-of-living crisis. And when we
asked those New Yorkers who had voted for the President, when we saw an increase in his numbers in New York City, that came back to the same issue,
cost of living, cost of living, cost of living. And they spoke about the cost of groceries, the cost of rent, the cost of ConEd, the cost of
childcare.
And too often, politicians are looking to lecture to New Yorkers what they should care about as opposed to listen. And when we spoke to those voters
who voted for President Trump, we heard them speak about cost of living. We focused on that same cost of living.
And that's where I am really looking forward to delivering for New Yorkers in partnership with the President on the affordability agenda.
TRUMP: And I think we have to work a little bit. We talked about Con Edison. We have to work a little bit on getting the prices because, you
know, we've gotten fuel prices way down, but it hasn't shown up in Con Edison.
And we're going to have to talk to them. You know, if we're saying sending them fuel at a much lower price than it was a year ago, which is true, we
have to get Con Edison to start lowering the rates.
MAMDANI: Absolutely.
REPORTER: Last week he told me you were pushing ahead with your plans to sue the
BBC for up to $5 billion. You speak to Prime Minister Starmer as well. Is there any progress or any updates on those issues?
TRUMP: Well, we get along very well with the Prime Minister. We made a deal with U.K. I like him.
He's a fine person. And, you know, I think they have some big energy problems. You know, they've got windmills all over the place.
They're going to have to start using other methods because their energy is out of control. Talking about in the U.K. It's out of control. And he's got
that problem.
He's got a big immigration problem, as you know, and he's got a big energy problem. And we talk about it. He's a good man. Prime Minister is a good
man.
REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE) speak this week?
TRUMP: I haven't spoken this week.
REPORTER: Mr. President, have you spoken to President Zelenskyy about your plan? Did you speak with him?
TRUMP: I've spoken with their people. We have a plan. It's horrible what's happening.
It's a war that should have never happened. It would have never happened if I was president. And it's a shame.
And I thought they should have acted quicker. But it's a cold winter and a lot of the, a lot of the -- you talk about utilities. But a lot of the big
energy producing plants have been under attack, to put it mildly, to put it nicely.
Yes, we have a way of getting peace, or we think we have a way of getting peace. He's going to have to approve it. Just so sad.
So many people -- you know, last month, they lost 25,000 soldiers. This is something -- we haven't seen anything like this since the Second World War.
They're averaging six or seven thousand a week between the two of them, dead soldiers.
And it goes on and on. And I think they're getting reasonably close. But it's -- I don't want to predict.
I would have said that would have been one of my early ones. I did eight peace deals of countries, including in India, Pakistan. You could even go -
- in fact, they're coming here in a week or two. Go to the Congo and Rwanda. That was one -- 10 million people dead. And we worked something out
on that.
But so many. And the one I thought would have been for me, because I have a very good relationship with President Putin, I thought that would have been
maybe quicker.
But it's it does take two to tango. And now you just see all the death.
And, you know, it doesn't affect us other than the fact that we don't want to see all those people -- that really it's on the other side of the ocean.
It's a war that should have never happened. It did happen.
I blame the person also sitting right behind this desk. This is a war that should have never happened, and it wouldn't have happened if I were
president. But we're trying to save a lot of lives. We're losing -- they're losing 25 -- think of that, 25,000 lives over the last short period of
time.
That's Ukrainian and Russian.
[15:50:01]
And it's a shame.
REPORTER: I want to ask the mayor elected about a House resolution just passed overwhelmingly to condemn socialism, including 86 Democrats, all of
House Dem leadership and the minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, despite his endorsement of you. What's your reaction to that?
MAMDANI: I have to be honest with you. I focused very little on resolutions. Frankly, I've been focusing --
REPORTER: Condemned socialism.
MAMDANI: I understand. I think the focus is on the work at hand. I can tell you I am someone who is a Democratic Socialist.
I've been very open about that. And I know there might be differences about ideology. But the place of agreement is the work that needs to be done to
make New York City affordable.
That's what I look forward to.
REPORTER: And I want to clarify your answer to Stephen Nelson. He asked about your comment, calling the president a fascist. And your answer was
President Trump and I have been clear about our positions and our views.
Are you affirming that you think President Trump is a fascist?
MAMDANI: I've spoken about.
TRUMP: That's OK. You can just say, OK, it's easier. It's easier than explaining it. I don't mind.
REPORTER: I wanted to ask you also about this Ukraine plan.
TRUMP: Yes.
REPORTER: President Zelenskyy said today that his country would risk either giving up to partner or giving up its dignity. There's been criticism that
this deal --
TRUMP: You mean he doesn't like it.
REPORTER: It's unclear. I think he sort of offended by it.
TRUMP: He'll have to like it. And if he doesn't like it, then, you know, they should just keep fighting, I guess. Yes.
REPORTER: The suggestion that you made, though, was that if he doesn't accept it, that the U.S. would pull back its support for Ukraine.
TRUMP: Well, at some point, he's going to have to accept something. You know, and he hasn't accepted. You remember right in the Oval Office not so
long ago, I said, you don't have the cards.
Don't forget, I inherited this war. I would have never -- this war never would have happened. I inherited this war.
And I thought he should have made a deal a year ago, two years ago. The ultimate deal would have been if it never started. That would have been a
good deal.
That could have been done, too, if you had the right president. But you didn't have the right president.
REPORTER: Mr. President, Mr. President. Mr. President, the cost of living is something that you and Mr. Mamdani seem to agree on.
TRUMP: Right.
REPORTER: Democrats have run New York City for a long time, Mr. Mamdani. Do you see Democrat policy specifically as being a problem?
And I'd like that to be a question that both of you could answer in New York City.
MAMDANI: Look, I think that there are many things in our city where we have to own the responsibility of it, things that existed long before the
president was the president. And those are also part of the message of our campaign was to take on a broken politics of the past. And I ran against a
number of candidates who represented different versions of that past.
And what we found time and again is that working people were left behind in the politics of our city. And what we're looking to do is put those people
right back at the heart of our politics so that we don't have a situation where we're in the wealthiest city in the history of the world. And yet one
in five can't even afford $2.90 for a Metro card.
REPORTER: Mr. President --
TRUMP: You know, we had some interesting conversation and some of his ideas really are the same ideas that I have. But a big thing on cost, you know,
the new word is affordability. Another word is just groceries.
It's sort of an old fashioned word, but it's it's very accurate. And they're coming down. They're coming down.
They were -- you know, we had both of us. We had the highest inflation in the history of our country the last four years under the Biden
administration. And we've got inflation down now to a normal number.
It's going to go even a little bit lower than that. Katie, you have something in the back.
Mr. Mamdani often talks about New York City being covered by international law, that they will follow international law. Doesn't often talk about the
U.S. Constitution. What is your response to that?
TRUMP: Well, I don't know what you're referring to in terms of it could be covered by international law and local law.
It's covered by a lot of laws, but it's covered by U.S. law. Are you referring to anything in particular?
REPORTER: You just said that there are cities that endorses and enforces international law. Is that at odds with.
TRUMP: No, I don't know.
Would you want to -- do you want to respond?
MAMDANI: Yes, I think what I've shared with the president is our desire to not only follow the laws of our own city laws that protect New Yorkers, but
also a desire for consistency in our politics across the board. And that's something that we've talked about and something that I know many New
Yorkers want.
REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)
MAMDANI: We discussed ICE and New York City and I spoke about how the laws that we have in New York City allow for New York City government to speak
to the federal administration for about 170 serious crimes, the concerns that many New Yorkers have are around the enforcement of immigration laws
on New Yorkers across the five boroughs, and most recently we're talking about a mother and her two children, how this has very little to do with
what that is.
TRUMP: What we did is we discussed crime, more than ICE per se, we discussed crime, and he doesn't want to see crime, and I don't want to see
crime, and I have very little doubt that we're not going to get along on that issue.
[15:55:01]
He wants to -- and he said some things that were very interesting, very interesting as to housing construction, and he wants to see houses go up,
he wants to see a lot of houses created, a lot of apartments built, etc., and, you know, we actually -- people would be shocked, but I want to see
the same thing.
Please, Jack?
REPORTER: Mr. President, I want to know, one of the policies as well that Mayor-elect Mamdani talked a number of times about on the campaign was
shifting the tax burden for property taxes from what he called minority communities to white-based communities and putting more taxes on white
people. I also noticed that in your acceptance speech you didn't mention anything about America or Christians or white people in general, and so I
didn't know if that was one of the policies that you guys had spoken about.
MAMDANI: We focused on affordability. We focused on the cost-of-living crisis.
What I will say is that I am very much interested in property tax reform because what we see right now in New York City is a system that is so
inequitable that it can't even stand up in court, and the president and I spoke about the importance of not only building more housing but also
making sure that regulation of housing is something that is manageable to actually get through and not the cause of yet another weight that we see in
our city.
REPORTER: But are you clear you're continuing this idea of race-based property taxes?
MAMDANI: No, to be very clear.
REPORTER: That's what you said.
MAMDANI: No, to be very clear, the use of the term was a description of neighborhoods, not a description of intent.
REPORTER: So you intend to tax the whiter neighborhoods more?
MAMDANI: No, we intend to create a fair property tax system because we want a New York City that is not only fair and equitable but also one that every
New Yorker can afford.
REPORTER: Mr. Mamdani --
TRUMP: Please, go.
REPORTER: Mr. Mamdani, you can't say Israel protesters just targeted a synagogue in New York. Are you concerned about Jewish New Yorkers feeling
welcome and safe in the city?
And President Trump, you threatened to call federal funding to New York City. What policies would prompt you to do that? Would that be city-run
grocery stores or would it be something else?
TRUMP: Well, I think if we didn't get along, whether it's cut off or just make it a little bit difficult or not give as much, we want to see -- I use
the term, we don't want good money going after bad. We just -- we don't want that to happen. I don't think that's going to happen.
I did say that, you know, subject to what policies are being said. We had a meeting today that actually surprised me. He wants to see no crime.
He wants to see housing being built. He wants to see rents coming down, all things that I agree with. Now, we may disagree how we get there.
The rent coming down, I think one of the things I really gleaned very, very much today, he'd like to see them come down ideally by building a lot of
additional housing.
MAMDANI: Yes.
TRUMP: That's the ultimate way. He agrees with that and so do I.
But if I read the newspapers and the stories, I don't hear -- I don't hear that. But I hear -- I heard him say it today, and I think that's a very
positive step.
No, I don't expect -- I expect to be helping him, not hurting him, a big help, because I want New York City to be great.
Look, I love New York City. It's where I come from. I spent a lot of years there.
Now I'm right here. We took a big setback with a mayor that we had named de Blasio. I thought it was a tremendous setback for the city.
I think this mayor can do some things that are going to be really great.
REPORTER: Mr. President, Mr. President.
TRUMP: OK, how about you, you?
REPORTER: Thank you.
TRUMP: Go ahead, please.
REPORTER: You're a billionaire. You've got a different address nowadays than you used to. You used to call New York City home. Would you feel
comfortable living in New York City under a Mamdani administration?
TRUMP: Yes, I would. I really would, especially after the meeting. Absolutely.
REPORTER: What makes you comfortable?
TRUMP: We agree on a lot more than I would have thought. I think he's -- I want him to do a great job and we'll help him do a great job. You know, he
may have different views, but in many ways -- you know, we were discussing when Bernie Sanders was out of the race, I picked up a lot of his votes and
people had no idea because he was strong on not getting ripped off in trade and lots of the things that I've practiced and have been very successful
on, tariffs, a lot of things.
Bernie Sanders and I agreed on much more than people thought. And when he was put out of the race, I think quite unfairly, if you want to know the
truth, many of the Bernie Sanders voters voted for me. And I felt very comfortable, frankly, in seeing that and saying that. And you know, it just
turned out to be a statistical truth.
But no, I feel very comfortable. I would be -- I would feel very, very comfortable being in New York. And I think much more so after the meeting.
Yes, please?
REPORTER: Thank you, Mr. President.
I have a question for you, but a very quick one to the mayor.
MAMDANI: Please.
REPORTER: Why did you fly here? Aren't trains greener?
MAMDANI: I will use every form of transit, and I want to make sure that they're all affordable in New York City. And that's why making buses fast
and free is a centerpiece of our campaign.
TRUMP: Well, but I know, but it'd be fluid. That's a lot quicker, too, you know? I mean, he's working very hard. For him to be, it's a long -- it's a
very -- that's a very long drive. I'll stick up for you. You know, the plane takes you 30 minutes and driving takes you --
REPORTER: Mr. President, I wonder if you could clear up some confusion around "The Washington Post."
END
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