Lucas: Healey, Wu aren’t joining Trump’s buddy list
In a recent article, veteran political reporter Peter Lucas highlights the contrasting approaches of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu compared to the newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani regarding their relationships with former President Donald Trump. While Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, has chosen to engage with Trump to secure support for his ambitious city initiatives, Healey and Wu have opted to maintain a distance, prioritizing their progressive agendas and the sentiments of their left-leaning bases over potential collaborations that could benefit their constituents. This political dynamic raises questions about the effectiveness of their strategies in a one-party Democratic state like Massachusetts, where political posturing often overshadows practical policymaking.
Mamdani’s decision to reach out to Trump, despite previously labeling him a “fascist,” demonstrates a pragmatic shift towards governance over partisan rhetoric. He recognized the need for support in addressing New York’s pressing issues, such as affordability and public safety, and strategically chose to focus on common ground with Trump rather than differences. This meeting not only elevated Mamdani’s profile but also showcased a potential path for collaboration that transcends typical political divides. In stark contrast, Wu’s firm dismissal of any desire for a “bromance” with Trump reflects a reluctance to engage with the federal government, which could ultimately hinder her ability to address the needs of Boston residents effectively.
As Mamdani navigates the complexities of his new role, his willingness to engage with Trump highlights a bold approach that prioritizes policy outcomes over political allegiance. Lucas suggests that other leaders, particularly in Massachusetts, could benefit from adopting a similar mindset, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and practical solutions in governance. The article serves as a reminder that while political identities often dictate actions, the real-world challenges faced by constituents may require leaders to step outside their comfort zones and seek partnerships that can foster meaningful change.
That could have been Maura Healey or Michelle Wu standing beside President Donald Trump in the Oval Office the other day.
All Governor Healey and Boston Mayor Wu had to do was pick up the phone, call the White House and ask for an appointment the way Zohran Mamdani did.
Trump meets with everyone, including war criminals like Vladimir Putin.
But they won’t. The pair of Democrat progressives would rather “stand up” to Trump — and appease their left-wing base — than work with him to benefit their larger constituencies, meaning the city and the state.
Wu, in fact, arrogantly insists that she has no interest in a “bromance” with Trump.
In one-party Democratic Massachusetts, politics beats policy every time. And the politics call for Democratic office holders to hurl hate bombs against Trump no matter the consequences.
What will they do when Trump is gone?
Mamdani, the brash 34-year-old mayor-elect of New York City, and a Democratic Socialist to boot, threw the same hate bombs at Trump in his campaign for mayor.
He called Trump everything from a fascist to a despot.
“We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks,” Mamdani said in his belligerent victory speech.
Trump, not to be outdone in the insult department, called Mamdani, among other things, “a nut job” and a “lunatic” communist. He would have labeled him “Moscow Mamdani” had he thought of it.
But a funny thing happened that changed everything.
Mamdani was elected.
He then realized that he needed help to run the biggest city in the country and keep people safe.
So, after brutally attacking the New York police, he first asked Jessica Tisch, the effective law-and-order police commissioner, to stay on the job and promised to keep the number of cops at their present level.
Then Mamdani realized that he needed help to pay for all the free stuff he, like a true socialist, promised, things like free day care, free buses, city-run grocery stores, and so on.
But, instead of reaching out to other Democratic Socialists, like Sen. Bernie Sanders or Sen. Elizabeth Warren, for instance, who offer nothing but socialist platitudes, he reached out to Republican President Donald Trump, the capitalist who can do things for him and for New York.
It was a shrewd maneuver on his part, and for Trump as well. Three months ago, nobody knew who Mamdani was, and here he was in the White House meeting with the most powerful man in the world.
The socialist had come hat in hand asking the capitalist for help.
The key to the success of the meeting was that the pair discussed what they could agree on — helping New York on affordability issues — while ignoring what they differed on, like ICE rounding up criminal illegal immigrants, law and order, Israel, protecting Jews in New York, and Mamdani’s refusal to condemn the Intifada.
While Mamdani stood by a seated Trump, like pupil and teacher, Trump said, “Some of his ideas are really the same ideas that I have.”
“We’re going to be helping him to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York,” Trump said.
While Mamdani faces criticism from militant Trump-hating socialists for cozying up to Trump, it was a bold move on his part. Mamdani put the policy of helping New York over the politics of hating Trump.
Others should follow suit.
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas can be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com.
Mayor Michelle Wu, seen here as she arrived with this year’s Christmas tree from Nova Scotia, has said “I’m not interested in a bromance with the federal regime.” (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald) .
