Updated April 18, 2026 — Former President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met Saturday for the first time at a Bronx child care center, where they read to preschoolers and led a sing-along.
The pair read the picture book Alone and Together and led children in “The Wheels on the Bus.” They did not take questions afterward. A mayor’s office news release said the conversation touched on Mamdani’s vision for the city and the importance of early childhood education.
Obama posted on X, “Great spending time with New York City’s Cutest,” and thanked Mamdani for giving him an excuse to “break out my best ‘Wheels on the Bus.'”
Mamdani, 34, has attracted attention for his progressive agenda and youth. Obama has offered to serve as a sounding board for the mayor. The visit came just over a week after Mamdani marked his 100th day in office; he took office in January after a campaign that emphasized making New York more affordable and using government power to help the working class.
The appearance also took place as Mamdani seeks working relationships across the aisle. He has met twice with former President Donald Trump at the White House, in November and again in February, to discuss city matters. Despite those meetings, relations have shown signs of strain: Trump posted on Truth Social accusing Mamdani of “DESTROYING New York” with his taxing policies and threatened to withhold federal funds.
On CBS Mornings this week, Mamdani said he and Trump “are in touch” and speak honestly and directly about their disagreements. “There is one place of agreement that we have, which is that we both love New York City,” he said.