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Obama and Mamdani meet for the first time, read to New York City preschoolers

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by Sophie Brams - 04/18/26 10:33 PM ET

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by Sophie Brams - 04/18/26 10:33 PM ET

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A group of preschoolers in the Bronx received a visit from former President Obama and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) on Saturday, the first meeting between the two men coming just over a week after Mamdani marked his 100th day in office.

The pair read to children at Learning Through Play Pre-K Center in the South Bronx and led a sing-along of “Wheels on the Bus.” The childcare center is part of the city’s free preschool program for 3- and 4-year-olds, according to The New York Times.

Clips shared to social media showed Obama and Mamdani joking together, including one instance in which the former president ribbed the mayor for not recognizing the lyrics to a song from Netflix’s hit animated film “K Pop Demon Hunters.”

“What song is that?” Mamdani asked, after the children finished their rendition.

“Soda Pop,” they replied, enthusiastically.

“I just want you to know that it’s great that you just made the mayor feel really old, which is fantastic,” Obama said, patting Mamdani on the back.

“Incredibly old,” Mamdani responded.

There were few details as to what Obama and Mamdani spoke about in a reported private meeting beforehand, with the only glimpse into their conversation coming in a social media post from the mayor.

“In between singing wheels on the bus, we discussed our administration’s vision for this City— one where New York’s Cutest have the strongest start possible,” Mamdani wrote on the social platform X.

News of the meeting was first reported by Politico. The outlet reported that Mamdani’s aides had worked for months to set up the sit-down in hopes of extending the momentum generated in the administration’s first months, citing two people with knowledge of the planning granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations.

Obama offered to be a “sounding board” for Mamdani, a Democratic socialist widely seen as one of the rising stars in the party, during a phone call in November 2025 ahead of the mayoral election.

The former two-term president reportedly told Mamdani that his campaign, which was centered around an affordability platform, had been “impressive to watch.”

The meeting on Saturday came as the New York City mayor is also trying to cultivate a working relationship with President Trump. The pair has met twice in the Oval Office since Mamdani’s election, a largely positive tone emerging after each meeting.

But Trump offered strong criticism of Mamdani this week, claiming the mayor’s proposed tax on second homes was “destroying” New York City.

“Sadly, Mayor Mamdani is DESTROYING New York! It has no chance! The United States of America should not contribute to its failure,” Trump wrote in a Thursday post on Truth Social.

“It will only get WORSE. The TAX, TAX, TAX Policies are SO WRONG,” he continued. “People are fleeing. They must change their ways, AND FAST. History has proven, THIS ‘STUFF’ JUST DOESN’T WORK.”

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