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Trump and New York's socialist mayor-elect set aside barbs in Oval Office truce
President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, once fierce political adversaries, struck a surprisingly cooperative tone during a White House meeting Friday, focusing on shared concerns over the city's affordability crisis and downplaying months of mutual attacks.
A shift from campaign hostility
The Oval Office encounter defied expectations after a contentious mayoral race in which Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, labeled Trump a "despot," while the president's team had framed the visit as a "communist coming to the White House." Yet both men emphasized collaboration, with Trump repeatedly praising Mamdani's potential as mayor and expressing confidence in his ability to govern effectively.
"I'll be cheering for him," Trump said, adding later that he hoped Mamdani would "be a really great mayor." The president even joked when a reporter asked Mamdani whether he still considered Trump a "fascist," quipping, "That's ok, you can just say yes. It's easier than explaining."
Shared focus on cost-of-living pressures
The detente centered on New York's escalating affordability challenges-a issue that propelled both men's political trajectories. Trump, who campaigned heavily on inflation concerns during his 2024 re-election bid, found common ground with Mamdani, whose mayoral platform prioritized rent freezes and housing accessibility. "We discussed how to deliver affordability to New Yorkers," Mamdani told reporters, pivoting away from questions about their ideological divides.
Even on contentious topics like Middle East policy, Mamdani redirected conversations to economic priorities, noting that Trump voters had urged leaders to "end forever wars" and address rising costs. The president, in turn, called crime reduction a shared goal, asserting, "He doesn't want to see crime and I don't want to see crime."
"This city could be unbelievable-if he could be a spectacular success, I'll be very happy."
President Donald Trump
Queens roots and political pragmatism
Both men hailed from New York's borough of Queens-Trump from Jamaica Estates, Mamdani from Astoria-a connection they acknowledged during the meeting. Their rapport, marked by relaxed body language and mutual deference, left political observers stunned. Trump dismissed a reporter's question about Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik's "jihadist" remark against Mamdani, saying, "No, I don't" see him that way, and chalking up campaign rhetoric to "things you say sometimes."
The cordiality could disrupt GOP plans to vilify Mamdani as a far-left foil in the 2026 midterms, where Republicans had hoped to leverage his progressive policies-like rent controls and police reform-as wedge issues. Axios reported the party intended to portray him as "anti-police, anti-capitalism, and anti-Israel," but Friday's display of unity may complicate that strategy.
Uncertainty ahead of January inauguration
Whether the truce endures remains unclear. Mamdani takes office on January 1, and while Trump declared he'd "be very happy" if the mayor succeeded, the president's history of shifting alliances leaves room for skepticism. For now, both men projected optimism, with Mamdani calling their shared love of New York a foundation for cooperation.
As reporters pressed them on past insults, the pair deflected with humor and redoubled their focus on economic relief-a signal that, for the moment, political expediency outweighs old grudges.
