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The meeting between Trump and Mamdani was marked with praises and promises of cooperation, despite fears of a tense standoff.
Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani shaking hands in the White House. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump met New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House in what turned out to be an unusually friendly meeting, as the two have shared fiery public exchanges and clashed over their ideological positions.
Trump and Mamdani said they had a “productive” meeting over the latter’s affordability agenda at the White House, and the president vowed to help the new mayor out in his role. “I want him to do a good job, and we’ll help you do a good job,” Trump told Mamdani during a press conference at the Oval Office.
A light-hearted moment took place when Mamdani was asked whether he stood by his previous remarks calling Trump a “fascist”. Before he could answer, Trump interjected by saying, “That’s OK, you can just say yes, OK? It’s easier. It’s easier than explaining it, I don’t mind.”
Trump also patted Mamdani’s arm as they exchanged smiles, while his remarks evoked laughter in the Oval Office. Mamdani responded tepidly by saying, “Okay, yes.”
‘Called Much Worse Than A Despot’
Mamdani was also asked about his remarks calling Trump a “despot”, to which he said their conversation focused not on their political disagreements, but on their “shared purpose” of serving New Yorkers.
Trump then jokingly said, “I’ve been called much worse than a despot. So it’s not that insulting”. Trump also predicted that Mamdani “is going to change” on some of his views, saying, “I think he’s going to surprise some conservative people, actually.”
‘Agreed More Than I Thought’
The meeting was marked with praises, smiles, and pledges of cooperation. Despite months of name-calling, Trump said he actually agreed with Mamdani on several issues.
“You know, we had some interesting conversation, and some of his ideas are really the same ideas that I have. But a big thing on cost. You know, the new word is ‘affordability.’ Another word is just ‘groceries.’ It’s sort of an old-fashioned word but it’s very accurate. And they’re coming down,” he added.
The US President said the meeting “surprised” him. “He wants to see no crime, he wants to see housing being built, he wants to see rents coming down – all things that I agree with.”
He also promised to help Mamdani do better in his new role, and said he “enjoyed” the meeting. “There will be topics that we disagree on. I think we’ll probably come to a conclusion. And ultimately, he’ll convince me or I’ll convince him. You know, it’s for the good of New York.”
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
November 22, 2025, 03:01 IST
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