The warm sentiments were in stark contrast after months of battle in the press and on social media.
New York Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani meets with President Trump at the White House
President Donald Trump has confirmed via Truth Social that he is meeting with New York Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani to discuss affordability and public safety.
WASHINGTON – The Oval Office meeting between Donald Trump and New York Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani turned out to be a surprising celebration of love between the two New Yorkers.
On November 21, Republican President Trump, a 79-year-old billionaire, warmly clapped Mamdani’s hand several times. Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, stood next to the seated president. Mamdani, a state representative from Trump’s home borough of Queens, mentioned several times how well Trump did in the 2024 presidential election in that city.
The warm sentiments were in stark contrast after months of battle in the press and on social media. President Trump has previously called for Mamdani’s arrest if he does not cooperate with the government’s sweeping crackdown on immigration, and has also said he would not provide federal funds to New York over Mamdani’s left-wing politics. Mamdani called Trump a fascist and said in his victory speech that he was ready to confront the president head-on, including on immigration issues. (President Trump has repeatedly restricted entry from Muslim-majority countries, but Mamdani will be New York City’s first Muslim mayor.)
In their first meeting, Trump said he would be happy to live with Mamdani in New York, but Mamdani said he looked forward to working with Trump to improve affordability in their shared hometown.
“I’m looking to help him, not hurt him. It’s going to be a big help, because I want New York City to be great,” Trump said.
“It was a productive meeting that focused on New York City, a place of shared admiration and love, and the need to provide affordability for New Yorkers,” Mamdani told reporters earlier.
Here are some important points.
Mr. Mamdani was not bullied like Mr. Zelensky, but welcomed like MBS.
President Trump noted that the media enthusiasm for Mamdani’s first visit to the White House exceeded the attention given to his meetings with many foreign leaders.
But Mr. Trump has shown a knack for making a spectacle out of his meetings with these leaders, by humiliating them and lavishing them with praise.
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy has been criticized by President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance for not wearing a suit and for not adequately appreciating U.S. aid during the nearly four-year war with Russia. But just recently, President Trump held a heated White House meeting for Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, also known as MBS. President Trump defended his guest when asked about the US intelligence community’s finding that MBS orchestrated the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi.
Mamdani was treated like a prince.
Neither he nor Trump took the bait when reporters encouraged them to attack each other. Mamdani was asked whether he thought Trump was a fascist. As Mamdani began to respond, Trump interjected.
“It’s okay, just say ‘yes,'” President Trump said. “It’s easy. It’s easier than explaining. I don’t care.”
President Trump patted Mamdani on the arm.
Surprising areas of agreement on affordability
Mamdani, who originally called the meeting, said he would discuss with the president how to address New York’s high cost of living. He followed that strategy despite disagreements over issues such as federal budget cuts and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the city.
Both Trump and Mamdani were elected in part because of their focus on lowering the cost of living. Mamdani has pledged to build 200,000 affordable housing units and supports allowing more market-rate housing to be built in high-income areas.
“Some of his ideas are the same as mine,” the president said. “He wants to see house prices go up, lots of housing built, apartments built…People will be shocked, but I want to see the same thing.”
Just over a year ago, Mamdani went viral on social media after speaking to New Yorkers about why she voted for Trump. Mamdani, microphone in hand, visited the immigrant-heavy, non-white, working-class neighborhoods of the Bronx and Queens, the areas that were most tilted toward Trump.
Mamdani asked them about voting and whether they did not go to the ballot box at all. According to his post, a common theme in support for Trump was the cost of living. Mamdani then asked about the upcoming 2025 mayoral elections.
“If you had a candidate who advocated freezing rent, free busing, universal childcare, etc., would you support them?” Mamdani said in a not-so-subtle nod to his three-part campaign platform. “Of course he will accept my vote all day long,” one man told Mamdani.
Trump will live in Mandani’s New York City
The 2025 mayoral election presented a very different view of the city, with President Trump frequently criticizing Mamdani’s vision. He and other Republicans said Mamdani would cause an increase in crime.
President Trump even said he would deploy the National Guard, as he has done in many other Democratic-run cities. However, Trump, who lives in Florida, said during a White House meeting that he would have no problem living in New York under Mamdani.
“I feel very, very comfortable in New York,” President Trump said. “And I thought even more so after the meeting.”
President Trump also praised Mamdani’s decision to retain current police chief Jessica Tisch, an experienced public sector worker who has overseen crime reduction.
Trump said his daughter Ivanka Trump is a friend of Tisch and that his family owns investment companies such as the New York Giants and Loews Corp. and includes major Republican donors. The two billionaire heirs both grew up on Manhattan’s East Side, and Tisch has been friends with President Trump’s husband Jared Kushner since college.
“She’s a good friend of some of Ivanka’s in my family, and they say she’s really good, really talented,” Trump said. “And he kept her there, so that’s a good sign.”
President Trump speaks affirmatively after a difficult week
The hilarious Oval Office visit with Mamdani comes during a particularly bad week for President Trump.
Trump’s smile-filled meeting painted him in a different light.
President Trump said, “One of the things I’ve always wanted to be is the mayor of New York.” “And especially now, because I think we’re really at a tipping point either way. It could work out. Or it could go in a different direction. And I think you really have a chance to make it great.”
Mamdani generously pointed out the president’s strong Republican support in New York state in 2024.
“More New Yorkers voted for President Trump in the recent presidential election because of the cost of living, and I look forward to working together to deliver affordable policies,” Mamdani said.
Trump and Mamdani share more voters than expected
The two New Yorkers discussed what they have in common: voters who support them.
“Many of my voters actually voted for him,” Trump said.
“One in 10,” Mamdani interjected.
President Trump responded, “I’m fine with that.”
About 10% of Mamdani voters supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election, according to a CBS poll. According to a CBS analysis, Queens, where Trump grew up and where Mamdani now lives, appears to have the most voters flipping to Mamdani’s side.
The love between these unlikely new friends may not last, but their relationship is off to a surprisingly good start.
