Trump and Mamdani put their differences aside and have 'very productive' meeting

NEW YORK’S INCOMING Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he had a “very productive” meeting with US President Donald Trump.

There was uncertainty around how the first White House meeting between the pair would go due to their different political ideologies and previous clashes.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old self-described Democratic socialist, was previously branded a “communist” by the 79-year-old Republican leader who even suggested the Ugandan-born New Yorker should be deported. While the Mayor-elect likened Trump to “bad landlords… taking advantage of their tenants.”

But the Oval Office summit was the embodiment of civility as a beaming Trump praised Mamdani’s historic election win, said he could do a “great job,” and called him a “man who really wants to see New York be great again.”

Trump repeatedly offered his support for Mamdani today – even telling reporters it was “OK” for the younger politician to have called him a “despot.”

“I’ve been called much worse than a despot. So it’s not that insulting. Maybe he’ll change his mind after we get to working together,” a conciliatory Trump said.

The pair, who were both raised in the New York City borough of Queens, seem to have found common ground in their hopes for New York City.

Mamdani spoke of the leaders’ “shared admiration and love” for America’s financial capital and largest city and Trump has vowed that his administration will work with Mamdani to improve life for residents of New York. 

“We’re going to be helping him to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York,” Trump said after the meeting.

On the campaign trail, Mamdani cast himself as part of the anti-Trump resistance.

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He promised rent freezes, free buses, and city-run grocery stores – ideas that clearly resonated with voters as he pulled in more than one million votes, the first New York mayoral candidate to do so since 1969.

“Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you – turn the volume up!” Mamdani said during a defiant acceptance speech making clear to the president that he would not be cowed or sidelined.

But Trump struck a conciliatory tone today as he was asked by Fox News Radio to react to Mamdani’s anti-Trump campaign rhetoric, telling the network: “I was hitting him a little hard too, in all fairness.”

‘Different philosophy’

“He’s got a different philosophy – he’s a little bit different. I give a lot of credit for the run,” Trump said.

“He did a successful run, and we all know that runs are not easy, but I think we’ll get along fine. Look, we’re looking for the same thing – we want to make New York strong.”

For his part, Mamdani noted that many New Yorkers had backed Trump in the 2024 presidential election “because of that focus on cost of living.”

“And I’m looking forward to working together to deliver on that affordability,” he said.

It was all a far cry from the barbs the pair had exchanged in the run-up to the meeting.

Beyond mocking Mamdani’s South Asian name, the president has dangled cuts to federal funding and even National Guard deployments – a tactic he used against other Democratic cities.

For New Yorkers, that could mean billions of dollars lost and troops on the streets once Mamdani, set to become the city’s first Muslim mayor, takes office.

Mamdani has been soothing centrists wary of a radical shake-up and has since stressed his desire to work with the president on the “national crisis of affordability.”

He reappointed incumbent police commissioner Jessica Tisch, a steady hand popular with rank-and-file officers, and named veteran bureaucrat Dean Fuleihan as his first deputy mayor – signs of continuity amid his promised revolution.

With additional reporting from AFP

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