President Donald Trump met with New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House, setting aside months of mutual insults from the campaign. Both described the encounter as productive and expressed willingness to collaborate on issues like security and cost of living. The meeting signals an unexpected turn in their tense relationship.
The meeting between Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani took place on Friday in the Oval Office at the White House, shortly after Mamdani's electoral victory on November 4, 2025. Mamdani, 34 years old and New York's first Muslim mayor, secured 50.6% of the votes, surpassing Andrew Cuomo (41.2%) and Curtis Sliwa (7.4%), becoming the first candidate since 1969 to exceed one million votes. He will assume office on January 1, 2026.
During the campaign, Trump labeled Mamdani a 'communist' and threatened to deport him to Uganda, his birth country, while ridiculing his South Asian name and progressive proposals, such as lowering rents, offering free public transportation, and state-run supermarkets with affordable prices. Mamdani, in turn, described Trump as a 'despot' and positioned himself in resistance to his policies.
Yet, the tone of the encounter was cordial. Trump praised Mamdani's 'incredible' campaign and promised to help him 'make everyone's dream come true: a strong and very safe New York.' He expressed 'a lot of confidence' in his management and predicted he would 'surprise some conservatives.' Mamdani called the meeting 'very productive' and stressed it did not focus on disagreements but on common goals like combating high living costs, public safety, and access to housing, health, and food.
Both leaders highlighted the need to serve New Yorkers, noting that tens of thousands voted for both due to economic concerns. Analysts point out that this relationship will be crucial for the city in a polarized context, though Mamdani faces the challenge of balancing collaboration with his progressive base, and Trump must avoid contradicting his prior attacks.
