After Months of Clashes, Trump Embraces Mamdani as ‘Very Rational’

President Donald Trump offered warm praise on Friday for New York City Mayor elect Zohran Mamdani after the two held what both men called a productive meeting at the White House.

The tone of the event surprised many people, mainly because Trump had spent months attacking Mamdani and calling him a communist during the campaign.

Trump sat in the Oval Office with Mamdani at his side and told reporters he truly wanted the new mayor to succeed.

“I think you are going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor. The better he does, the happier I am,” Trump said. “There is no difference in party, there is no difference in anything. And we are going to be helping him to make everybodys dream come true. Having a strong and very safe New York.”

The president also called Mamdani “rational” and said he would be cheering for him once he takes office.

This was a very different message from the one Trump used only a few months ago when he often criticized Mamdani for his progressive views.

Trump told reporters that the two talked about housing, food prices, and the cost of energy.

He said he believed Mamdani cared about lowering living costs, an issue Trump said matters to both parties.

Mamdani said he and Trump also discussed immigration enforcement in New York City.

The mayor elect has often raised concerns about the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in the city and said he shared those concerns during the meeting.

When a reporter asked Trump about his past comments calling Mamdani a communist, Trump brushed it aside.

“He has views that are a little out there, but who knows. I mean, we are going to see what works. He is going to change, also. I changed a lot,” Trump said. “I feel very confident that he can do a very good job. I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually.”

Mamdani himself faced a question about calling Trump a despot during the campaign.

Trump quickly jumped in and said, “I have been called much worse than a despot,” which drew some laughs inside the room and helped the two move on from the topic.

The friendly mood caught many observers off guard.

During the campaign, Trump had warned that Mamdani would damage the city and even said he might withhold federal funding if the mayor elect pushed certain policies. Trump even urged New Yorkers to vote for former governor Andrew Cuomo instead of Mamdani.

Mamdani, however, won the race by focusing on affordability and the rising cost of living, a message that helped Democrats in other states as well.

Even so, he has promised to resist any attempt by Trump to punish New York or apply federal pressure.

Reporters repeatedly tried to get Trump and Mamdani to criticize each other, but both men refused to take the bait.

They insisted the meeting was about improving life in New York City, not about reliving campaign fights.

At one point a reporter asked Mamdani if he still believed Trump was a fascist.

Before Mamdani could answer, Trump gently patted him on the arm and said he could “just say yes.”

“It is easier than explaining,” Trump joked.

Another reporter asked Mamdani if New Yorkers love President Trump.

Mamdani answered that people mainly want a city they can afford to live in.

Someone then asked Trump if he thought he was standing next to a jihadist, repeating a claim from Representative Elise Stefanik.

Trump rejected the label. “No, I do not. I met with a man who is a very rational person. I met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again,” Trump said.

For now, both men say they want to work together.

Featured image via X screengrab