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Former President Barack Obama met with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for the first time on Saturday at a child care center where they read to preschoolers and led a sing-along.
The meeting comes as Mamdani, a democratic socialist who marked his 100th day in office just over a week ago, is also trying to build a working relationship with Republican President Donald Trump.
Obama and Mamdani did not take questions after reading the book “Alone and Together” to the children and leading a sing-along of “The Wheels on the Bus.”
Former President Barack Obama, left, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani read a book to children at Learning Through Play Pre-K in New York, on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis
The former two-term president and standard-bearer for the Democratic Party has offered to be a sounding board for Mamdani, 34, whose star power, youth and progressive agenda have made him stand out in Democratic politics.
Mamdani took office in 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’s struggling working class.
Mamdani has met twice with Trump at the White House in November and February to discuss issues affecting New York.
Despite those friendly meetings, their relationship has shown signs of strain recently, with Trump posting on social media Thursday that Mamdani was “DESTROYING New York” with his taxing policies and threatened to pull federal funding for the city.
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