Motherjones iconMotherjonesSep 24, 2026 ~4 min source read

Mamdani Links Climate to Daily Life, Wins DoorDash Settlement, and Explains His Rapport with Trump

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani told a Climate Desk Live audience that climate change raises everyday costs for New Yorkers, urged climate activists to join local fights like the campaign against data centers, described a pragmatic approach to meeting with President Trump, and announced a major back-pay settlement with DoorDash.

Exclusive: Mamdani on Extreme Weather, DoorDash, And Why Trump Likes Him So Much

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He urged climate-concerned people to join the emerging movement opposing data centers as a local, tangible climate coalition.

Mamdani announced a settlement holding DoorDash accountable for unpaid wages: 260,000 workers will receive $131.5 million.

After meeting President Trump about federal help for affordable housing and immigration issues, Mamdani described the conversation as two New Yorkers talking despite political differences.

The useful part

"The way that climate is treated in public discourse, it's almost as if it's a concern that some can afford to have, while others have to deal with more immediate ones," Mamdani told a packed crowd at Climate Desk Live. Meanwhile, the mayor added, corporations that are responsible for the most pollution face little to no real accountability. As for dispelling the notion that the crisis is a "luxury concern," Mamdani urged people to connect climate to more localized issues, like the nascent movement against data centers.

How it works

  • "Earlier this week, we announced that we were holding DoorDash to account for having not paid 260,000 workers 131.5 million dollars," Mamdani said.
  • "Corporations of this scale believe that they can get away with not paying or underpaying workers and never having to be called to account for it," he said.
  • New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday directly linked the climate crisis to everyday issues facing New Yorkers, including commutes and affordability, while urging climate-concerned individuals to...
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What to take from it

"That, too, could be the coalition against the climate crisis." Mamdani's sit-down with Mother Jones video correspondent Garrison Hayes came amid a packed week for New York and the mayor specifically. On Monday, Mamdani met with President Donald Trump, where he pitched the president on federal funding for a new affordable housing development. In his meeting with Trump, Mamdani said that he brought up the need for stability for Haitian New Yorkers, who recently had their TPS status ended.

Example or evidence

  • That same take-no-prisoners corporate-accountability approach, Mamdani said, could be applied to the climate crisis.
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Details worth keeping

Mamdani on Extreme Weather, DoorDash, And Why Trump Likes Him So Much – Mother Jones Skip to main content Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Bluesky Email Comments Zohran Mamdani spoke at Climate Desk Live in New York City, September 24 2026. As many observed, Trump left looking decidedly happy with the mayor. DoorDash released a "notes app apology," and is forking over the money.

Related coverage

  • Nytimes: Mayor Zohran Mamdani invited the president to his official residence in Manhattan, where the two spoke about policing, immigration and affordable housing.
  • Hannity: President Trump is taking his unlikely détente with socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Gracie Mansion.
  • Huffpost: The New York mayor offered an inside look at his relationship with the president.

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