Praise for “extraordinary election campaign” Trump spoke enthusiastically about Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani presented himself as a proposed counter to Trump in the election campaign. He, in turn, threatened New Yorkers with withdrawal of federal funds if they elected a “communist” as mayor. Now right-wing populists are inviting left-wing populists to the White House — and seem very happy afterward.
During the election campaign, Donald Trump insulted Democrat Zohran Mamdani as a “left-wing radical lunatic”. Now the candidate for mayor of New York is a guest at the White House. And the US President sounded much more conciliatory, almost enthusiastic towards his guests: “We just had a great meeting, a very good and very productive meeting,” Trump said. “And I want to congratulate the Mayor. He really ran an extraordinary campaign against a lot of smart people, starting from the primaries, against some very strong, very smart people, and he defeated them,” praised the President.
In front of the cameras, the 34-year-old Republican and left-wing Democrat, who has called for higher taxes on the rich and corporations and called Trump a “fascist,” presented a remarkably harmonious picture. Trump repeatedly nodded in agreement in the Oval Office and smiled at Mamdani while he stood beside him with his arms folded – an appearance hardly reminiscent of the sharp campaign rhetoric of recent months.
The private discussions were particularly about the financial burden of daily life in New York, explained Mamdani. “We live in the richest city in history, yet one in five people can’t even afford a $2.90 train ticket,” Mamdani said. He wants to reduce the high cost of living for New Yorkers “in partnership with the president.” This is also a concern of many Trump voters in the east coast metropolitan cities spoken to. In fact, the issue of inflation is also an important issue for Trump. A recent survey shows that many Americans are dissatisfied with Trump’s previous efforts in this regard.
More unity than expected
Mamdani’s term of office officially begins on January 1, 2026, one minute after midnight. As mayor, Mamdani will be responsible for the east coast metropolis’ $116 billion budget and will be in charge of hundreds of thousands of city officials. When asked whether he, as a billionaire, would feel comfortable under the leadership of the new mayor, Trump, a native New Yorker who has lived there for decades, answered without hesitation: “Absolutely.” Especially after this meeting, he added.
Trump repeatedly nodded in agreement as Mamdani spoke. “We will help him realize everyone’s dream: to have a strong and safe New York,” he said. Trump said he agreed with the 34-year-old on more things than he thought. He will support Mamdani to be a “great mayor.” During the election campaign, he repeatedly called the left wing of the Democratic Party “communists” and threatened to withhold federal funding for New York City if he won.
Mamdani could call Trump a “fascist.”
Mamdani also strongly attacked the US President during the election campaign and on the eve of his election victory. However, this no longer seems to be a problem for the president. When asked, the Republican politician joked that he had been called far worse than a despot. “Maybe he will change his mind after we work together.” Mamdani said their respective positions had been “explained very clearly” to each other. What he appreciated about Trump was that the meeting was not about “a multitude of differences of opinion” but rather about “a shared goal of serving New Yorkers.” “I really appreciate this conversation,” Mamdani said.
There was a particularly odd moment when the mayor-elect was asked by a reporter if he would still call Trump a fascist. He started to explain to Mamdani, but Trump interrupted him and said, patting him on the arm: “It’s OK. You just say yes. It’s easier than explaining.” Trump’s Vice President JD Vance was enthusiastic about his response: The president has had many good moments, he wrote on the X platform about a video clip of the exchange. “But this one is a real classic.”
