Trump and Mamdani bond over affordability issues, love of New York and winning in collegial Oval Office meeting
CNN
By Betsy Klein, CNN
(CNN) — New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was pressed Friday on whether he believes President Donald Trump is a fascist.
Standing beside his host in the Oval Office, Mamdani began to answer – until the president, seated, interrupted.
“That’s OK – you can just say yes. That’s easier. It’s easier than explaining,” Trump told his guest, laughing it off as he playfully tapped Mamdani on the arm.
That collegial interaction was nearly unthinkable in the lead-up to the meeting as both sides postured, but the leader of the MAGA movement and the self-described democratic socialist made clear their conversation was a productive one – friendly, even.
“The better he does, the happier I am,” Trump said of the mayor-elect, later expressing openness to living in Mamdani’s New York City.
During the mayoral campaign, the president urged voters in his native city to back Democratic former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, over the GOP nominee, because he’d have a better shot at defeating Mamdani. The president had threatened to pull federal funding from New York if Mamdani won, suggested openness to sending in the National Guard and threatened to arrest the mayor-elect, whom he’s repeatedly called him a “communist.” (Mamdani has said he is not a communist).
But asked Friday if he would feel comfortable living in New York City, Trump said, “I really would – especially after the meeting, absolutely,” adding, “We agree on a lot more than I really thought.”
Their post-meeting press engagement underscored that both Trump and Mamdani recognize the political utility of each other’s strengths, with each citing the New York City crossover voters who backed Mamdani earlier this month and Trump in 2024.
Trump signaled respect for Mamdani’s overwhelming victory – he won more than 50% of the vote – built on a focus on working-class issues and promises to restore affordability to the nation’s most populous city. That’s a topic where the president could use a boost – a Fox News poll released this week showed 76% of voters have a negative view of the economy, a finding that sends loud warning signs to Republicans ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
It’s also in Mamdani’s best interests to have a working relationship with the White House. New York City’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget is counting on $7.4 billion in federal funding, according to the state comptroller.
Along with affordability, Trump and Mamdani indicated they were able to find common ground on issues like energy costs, public safety and peace in the Middle East – a softening, rhetorically at least, of their division over immigration enforcement and the Israel-Hamas war.
The stagecraft of the meeting was notable – Trump and Mamdani met privately for just over half an hour before reporters were invited into the Oval Office. During that time, Mamdani said, the two admired a portrait of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the Cabinet Room, with Mamdani taking a picture next to it.
Unlike other meetings with his global counterparts where the two leaders sit on equal footing in cushioned yellow chairs, Trump sat behind his desk as Mamdani stood up, positioned slightly behind him.
But the two were all smiles throughout, with Trump even siding with the soon-to-be first Muslim mayor of New York over one of his GOP allies, Rep. Elise Stefanik, who’d called Mamdani a “jihadist.”
“She’s out there campaigning and you say things sometimes in a campaign,” Trump said of Stefanik, who’s running for governor of New York. “I met with a man who’s a very rational person. I met with a man who wants to see New York be great again.”
Stefanik responded soon after on X: “We all want NYC to succeed. But we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.”
Ahead of the meeting, Mamdani sought counsel from other top Democratic officials who have navigated their own relationships with Trump, spending Thursday holding calls with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and the Rev. Al Sharpton to discuss how to approach it and how best to communicate with Trump, according to an aide to Mamdani’s transition team.
Friday’s meeting, Mamdani said, “focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City.”
Trump expressed confidence that Mamdani can do a good job as he prepares to take office on January 1 – and impress across the aisle.
“I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually.”
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report.
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