NYC Common Sense released the following statement regarding the closed-door meeting with President Trump at City Hall:
“At a time when access to government officials and the right of a free press to operate without constraint are being fought in court, a closed-door meeting between the president and the mayor sends the absolute wrong message about transparency and accountability.
“Just this morning, three major media outlets announced they intend to sue the Trump administration after the White House denied their reporters access over coverage it didn’t like. By agreeing to bar the press from Gracie Mansion today, this mayor sends a message – intended or not – that the president’s flouting of the First Amendment is acceptable.
“This meeting also comes 24 hours before the City Council holds a hearing on this administration’s own efforts to circumvent public record-keeping rules and the Freedom of Information Law through use of the encrypted messaging app Signal.
“Clearly, this City Hall has a mounting transparency problem.
“This is the second time in this administration’s short tenure that the public has been largely kept in the dark about the details of a face-to-face meeting between Mayor Mamdani and President Trump, setting a highly troubling and dangerous precedent.
“A sit-down between the leader of the free world and the mayor of the greatest city in the world is unquestionably of interest to all New Yorkers – if not every American. At the very least, the public deserves to know what topics are being discussed and not be spoon-fed staged photos or carefully curated social media reels.