In a surprising show of political diplomacy, President Donald Trump hosted New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House on Friday, November 21. The meeting marked a dramatic shift from the heated rhetoric exchanged between the two leaders during Mamdani’s campaign, with Trump previously labeling the far-left candidate a “communist” and Mamdani vowing to resist federal immigration enforcement in the sanctuary city.
Despite their differences, Mamdani had indicated after his election victory that he intended to reach out to the president to build a working relationship. That phone call turned into a rare Oval Office meeting between a Republican president and a self-proclaimed democratic socialist mayor-elect.
During the meeting, President Trump allowed a reporter from Breitbart News to pose a pointed question to Mamdani—whether he considered himself the new leader of the Democrat Party, and if party figures like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would now follow his lead. Rather than take the bait, Mamdani sidestepped national political aspirations and kept the focus on his role.
“I consider myself the next mayor of New York City, and I keep my horizons firmly on New York City,” Mamdani said, highlighting the meeting’s focus on issues like housing affordability across the five boroughs.
President Trump, who spent much of his early career in New York real estate and politics, praised Mamdani’s potential and the importance of the office he is about to assume.
“Being the mayor of New York, and especially now, because I think you’re at really a turning point… it could go great, or it could go in a different direction. And I think you really have a chance to make it great,” Trump said.
The meeting ended on a cordial note, with the two shaking hands—an image few expected from such ideologically opposed figures. Trump even remarked, “One of the things I would have loved to be someday is the mayor of New York City,” signaling both his respect for the position and his cautious optimism about Mamdani’s term.
