President Trump’s meeting with incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday was not expected to be warm and congenial. The two politicians agree on very little, and they’ve lobbed attacks at each other for months, with Mr. Trump calling Mamdani a “100% communist lunatic” and Mamdani describing himself as “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare.”
But instead, the two men seemed to hit it off. In a surreal 30-minute Oval Office appearance, Mr. Trump lavished Mamdani with praise, calling him “very rational” and predicting he could do “really great” things for their shared hometown. Mamdani, standing beside Mr. Trump, steered clear of criticizing the president — sometimes with an assist from Mr. Trump himself — and pledged to work with the administration on cost-of-living issues.
Here are the highlights:
“I think you’re going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor”
Mr. Trump was unceasingly optimistic about Mamdani, saying that during a private one-on-one meeting before their public appearance, the two men agreed on more than he expected. He pointed to Mamdani’s focus on affordability and stated desire to build more housing.
“I think you’re going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor,” the president said. “The better he does, the happier I am.”
“I think he is going to surprise some conservative people”
Days before the election, Mr. Trump had encouraged people to vote for Mamdani’s chief rival, Democratic governor-turned-independent Andrew Cuomo.
But on Friday, the president said: “I feel very confident that he can do a very good job…I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually. And some very liberal people, he won’t surprise them because they already like him.”
“I expect to be helping him, not hurting him”
For months, Mr. Trump has flirted with cutting off federal financial support to New York City if Mamdani wins, suggesting it would be a waste.
After their meeting, Mr. Trump didn’t fully back away from the threat, but said it was unlikely.
“I expect to be helping him, not hurting him,” Mr. Trump said. “A big help. Because I want New York City to be great. Look, I love New York City, it’s where I come from, I spent a lot of years there. … I think this mayor could do some things that are going to be really great.”
Does Mamdani think Trump is a fascist? “That’s okay, you can just say yes,” president says
At various points, reporters pressed Mamdani on whether he stands by his prior attacks on Mr. Trump — and the president helped him dodge.
One reporter asked Mamdani if he believes Mr. Trump is a “fascist.” As the incoming mayor began to answer, the president laughed and cut him off.
“That’s okay, you can just say yes,” Mr. Trump interjected, patting Mamdani on the arm. “That’s easier. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.”
Earlier in the meeting, Mamdani was asked if he still believes Mr. Trump is a “despot.”
Said Mr. Trump: “I’ve been called much worse than a despot, so it’s not that insulting. I think he’ll change his mind after we get to working together.”
“He’s got views that [are] a little out there, but who knows”
The president also deflected when asked about his claim that Mamdani is a “communist.”
Said Mr. Trump: “He’s got views that [are] a little out there, but who knows. I mean, we’re going to see what works.”
“He’s going to change, also. We all change. I changed a lot,” the president continued.
Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist, not a communist. He stood by that label on Friday.
Trump: Mamdani isn’t a “jihadist,” he’s “very rational”
Earlier this month, GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik — a candidate for governor of New York — called Mamdani an “Antisemite Jihadist Communist.”
Asked if he agrees that Mamdani is a “jihadist,” Mr. Trump said no.
“I met with a man who’s a very rational person. I met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again,” the president continued.
“I would feel very, very comfortable being in New York”
Mr. Trump — a Queens native whose primary residence is now in Florida — said he’d feel comfortable moving back to New York City under Mamdani’s leadership.
“I would feel very, very comfortable being in New York, and I think much more so after the meeting,” he said.
The pair’s views on crime and immigration enforcement came up repeatedly on Friday. The president expressed confidence in Mamdani: He said he believes the mayor-elect cares about public safety, and praised Mamdani for choosing to retain New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
“That’s a good sign,” the president said.
Trump: “A lot of my voters actually voted for him, and I’m okay with that”
Mamdani pointed out that Mr. Trump’s vote share in New York City jumped last year, which he attributed mostly to worries about affordability. And the mayor-elect noted that he swept up some Trump voters, which the president appreciated.
“He said a lot of my voters actually voted for him, and I’m okay with that,” the president said.
“I think he’s different than your typical guy”
Mr. Trump, for his part, praised Mamdani for the former state legislator’s unexpected come-from-behind victory in the Democratic primary.
“He came out of nowhere,” said the president. “I watched. I said, ‘Who is this guy?'”
Left unmentioned were the parallels with Mr. Trump’s own insurgent victory in the 2016 Republican primary.
Asked why Mamdani has drawn so much enthusiasm, Mr. Trump said: “I think he’s different than your typical guy, runs, wins, becomes mayor maybe and nothing exciting.”
At another point, Mr. Trump called being mayor a “big deal,” saying, “one of the things I would’ve loved to be someday is the mayor of New York City.”
