Atlanta Mayor Reflects on Recent Call With President Biden on MSNBC

ATLANTA — Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens discussed his recent conversation with President Biden and more during a conversation on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Wednesday morning.

Dickens noted that his call with Biden, which included many other mayors from across the country, was an overall positive experience.

The Atlanta mayor said the current president appeared “motivated” and “ready to defeat Donald Trump” – offering a contrast to the contentious debate over whether Biden should stay in the race after his public performance at last month’s debate in Atlanta.

RELATED: Actor George Clooney, a vocal Biden supporter and fundraiser, calls on the president to quit the presidential race

Dickens noted that much of the conversation should focus on how the White House can support cities and local leaders.

He also expressed concern that if Trump takes office next year, that kind of direct access could disappear because of a perceived lack of interest in working with Democratic cities.

Additionally, Dickens was asked about comments made by former President Trump about the city of Atlanta. The mayor said, “Donald Trump has spoken negatively about Atlanta at every opportunity, and that’s primarily because he was arrested here and incarcerated here.”

Finally, Dickens was asked about immigration, whether it came up on the call and what impact it has on Atlanta.

Dickens responded that immigration was not a topic the mayors on the call had questions about; he instead focused on issues like gun violence and the economy, which he said were “more relevant to cities.”

The Atlanta mayor concluded by saying that the city has already received funding from the federal government to help with immigration and that it has been sufficient, as the city is not experiencing as large an influx as other places.

Check out the full interview in the video player above or on YouTube below.

News happens fast. Spread it faster with our free 11Alive+ app. Watch on-demand newscasts and enjoy breaking news feeds with the latest sports, weather and VERIFY content. Available on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Text “more” to 404-885-7600 to download 11Alive+ and stream now.