ISTANBUL

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani reiterated on Wednesday his desire to speak with US President Donald Trump about ways to work together to serve the city, but warned that any conversation that comes at the expense of residents would be rejected.

"I continue to be interested in having a conversation with President Trump on the ways in which we can work together to serve New Yorkers, whether that be delivering on his campaign promises around cost of living or the many issues that New Yorkers have been sharing with me," Mamdani told reporters.

Mamdani said the White House has yet to congratulate him on his election victory.

However, Mamdani took a firm stance on conversations that could harm New Yorkers. "But if it is a conversation to come at the expense of those people, then I will fight that idea tooth and nail, because my job is to serve this city," he said.

The mayor-elect criticized Republican resistance to addressing working-class issues, arguing that it is not enough to diagnose the crisis without delivering solutions.

"What scares Republicans across the country is the fact that we will actually deliver on this agenda, and the contrast is something that they cannot bear to witness," Mamdani said.

He takes "the issue of anti-Semitism incredibly seriously," he said, pledging that his administration "will stand steadfast with Jewish New Yorkers in fighting the scourge of anti-Semitism across the city."

He vowed to work together with Jewish New Yorkers to not only protect but also "celebrate and cherish" the community.

The mayor-elect also stressed the importance of the rule of law, telling reporters that everyone "will be held to the same standard of the law."

He said that his administration would usher in an "era of consistency, an era of clarity, an era of conviction" for all New Yorkers in a time some think "certain people are allowed to violate that law."

Mamdani confirmed that he is looking forward to conversations with the current Mayor Eric Adams' administration "to ensure that the handover is a seamless one."

He announced that the transition process will be directed by Ilana Leopold, whose experience includes work in city government.

His transition co-chairs are an all-female, formidable group, including former Federal Trade Commissioner Chair Lina Khan, former First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer, United Way president and chief executive Grace Bonilla, and former Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Melanie Hartzog.