Praise for “extraordinary election campaign” Trump met Mamdani and wants to help him now
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 enthusiastic 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.
Mamdani – who stood with arms folded next to the sitting president in the Oval Office – explained that the discussions behind closed doors were primarily about the financial burden of daily life in New York. “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.
Trump repeatedly nodded in agreement as Mamdani spoke. “We will help him realize everyone’s dream: to have a strong, safe New York,” said the president, who was born in the city in 1946. 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 something much 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.”
