By Michelle L. Worth | Related Press
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday met the person who had proudly proclaimed himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare,” however he appeared to seek out the alternative.
The Republican president and New York Metropolis’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani had been heat and pleasant, talking repeatedly of their shared objectives to assist Trump’s hometown fairly than their flamable variations.
Trump, who had previously referred to as Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and a “whole nut job,” spoke overtly of how impressed he was with the person who had referred to as his administration “authoritarian.”
Trump stated he was shocked by their “nice” assembly and stated of the democratic socialist, “I feel he’s going to shock some conservative individuals, truly.”
Mamdani and Trump stated they mentioned housing affordability and the price of groceries and utilities, as Mamdani efficiently used frustration over inflation to get elected, simply because the president did within the 2024 election.
“We’re going to be serving to him, to make everyone’s dream come true, having a robust and really secure New York,” the president informed reporters with Mamdani beside him within the Oval Workplace.
“What I actually recognize in regards to the president is that the assembly that we had centered not on locations of disagreement, which there are lots of, and likewise centered on the shared function that we’ve got in serving New Yorkers,” Mamdani stated.
The president brushed apart Mamdani’s criticisms of him over his administration’s deportation raids and claims that Trump was behaving like a despot. As a substitute, Trump stated the duty of holding an govt place within the authorities causes an individual to alter, saying that had been the case for him.
He appeared at instances even protecting of Mamdani, leaping in on his behalf at a number of factors when reporters requested him powerful questions.
-
President Donald Trump listens as New York Metropolis Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks within the Oval Workplace of the White Home, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photograph/Evan Vucci)
1 of 4
President Donald Trump listens as New York Metropolis Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks within the Oval Workplace of the White Home, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photograph/Evan Vucci)
For instance, when reporters requested Mamdani to make clear his previous statements indicating that he thought the president was appearing like a fascist, Trump stated, “I’ve been referred to as a lot worse than a despot.”
When a reporter requested if Mamdani stood by his feedback that Trump is a fascist, Trump interjected earlier than the mayor-elect may absolutely reply the query.
“That’s OK. You’ll be able to simply say sure. OK?” Trump stated. “It’s simpler. It’s simpler than explaining it. I don’t thoughts.”
Trump jumped in once more when a reporter requested Mamdani why he flew to Washington as an alternative of taking transportation that used much less fossil fuels.
“I’ll stick up for you,” Trump stated.
All about affordability
Mamdani, who takes workplace in January, stated he sought the assembly with Trump to speak about methods to make New York Metropolis extra inexpensive. Trump has stated he could wish to assist him out — though he has additionally falsely labeled Mamdani as a “communist” and threatened to yank federal funds from his hometown.
However Trump on Friday didn’t sling that on the mayor. He acknowledged that he had stated he had been ready to chop off funding or make it more durable for New York Metropolis to entry federal assets if the 2 had didn’t “get alongside.”
However the president pulled again from these threats, saying: “We don’t need that to occur. I don’t assume that’s going to occur.”
Trump loomed massive over the mayoral race this yr, and on the eve of the election, endorsed unbiased candidate and former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, predicting the town has “ZERO probability of success, and even survival” if Mamdani gained. He additionally questioned the citizenship of Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and have become a naturalized American citizen after graduating from school, and stated he’d have him arrested if he adopted by way of on threats to not cooperate with immigration brokers within the metropolis.
Mamdani beat again a problem from Cuomo, portray him as a “puppet” for the president, and stated he can be “a mayor who can stand as much as Donald Trump and truly ship.” He declared throughout one major debate, “I’m Donald Trump’s worst nightmare, as a progressive Muslim immigrant who truly fights for the issues that I consider in.”
The president, who has lengthy used political opponents to fireside up his backers, predicted Mamdani “will show to be among the finest issues to ever occur to our nice Republican Celebration.” As Mamdani upended the Democratic institution by defeating Cuomo and his far-left progressive insurance policies provoked infighting, Trump repeatedly has forged Mamdani because the face of Democratic Celebration.
For Mamdani, a sit-down with the president of the USA provided the state lawmaker who till not too long ago was comparatively unknown the possibility to go head-to-head with essentially the most highly effective particular person on this planet.
The assembly gave Trump a high-profile probability to speak about affordability at a time when he’s underneath rising political stress to point out he’s addressing voter issues about the price of dwelling.
“A few of his concepts are actually the identical concepts that I’ve,” the president stated of Mamdani about inflationary points.
Some had anticipated fireworks within the Oval Workplace assembly
The president has had some dramatic public Oval Workplace faceoffs this yr, together with an infamously heated alternate with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in March. In Might, Trump dimmed the lights whereas assembly with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and performed a four-minute video making extensively rejected claims that South Africa is violently persecuting the nation’s white Afrikaner minority farmers.
A senior Trump administration official who spoke on situation of anonymity to explain inside discussions stated Trump had not put loads of thought into planning the assembly with the incoming mayor — however stated Trump’s threats to dam federal {dollars} from flowing to New York remained on the desk.
Mamdani stated Thursday that he was not involved in regards to the president doubtlessly attempting to make use of the assembly to publicly embarrass him and stated he noticed it as an opportunity to make his case, even whereas acknowledging “many disagreements with the president.”
As a substitute, each males prevented a public confrontation in a remarkably calm and cordial sequence of feedback in entrance of reports reporters.
Mamdani, who lives in Queens — the place Trump was raised — has proven a cutthroat streak simply as Trump has as a candidate. Throughout his marketing campaign, he appeared to borrow from Trump’s playbook when he famous throughout a televised debate with Cuomo that one of many girls who had accused the previous governor of sexual harassment was within the viewers. Cuomo has denied wrongdoing.
However the tensions had been subdued Friday as Trump appeared sympathetic to Mamdani’s insurance policies to wish to construct extra housing.
“Individuals can be shocked, however I wish to see the identical factor,” the president stated.
Related Press writers Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak in Washington and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this report.
