From Adversaries to Allies: Trump and Mamdani Find Common Ground on New York City Affordability Crisis

Mamdani and Trump engaged in discussions regarding housing affordability and the rising costs of groceries and utilities during their meeting.

Washington:

President Donald Trump met with the individual who had previously declared himself "Donald Trump's worst nightmare," yet the encounter proved surprisingly cordial.

The Republican president and New York City's Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani demonstrated unexpected warmth, emphasizing their shared objectives for Trump's hometown rather than their considerable political differences.

Trump, who had previously labeled Mamdani a "100% Communist Lunatic" and a "total nut job," expressed genuine admiration for the man who once characterized Trump's administration as "authoritarian."

"I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually," Trump remarked about the democratic socialist as Mamdani stood beside him in the Oval Office.

The meeting presented political advantages for both individuals. For Mamdani, the relatively unknown state lawmaker until recently, it provided an opportunity to engage directly with the most powerful person in the world.

For Trump, the high-profile encounter allowed him to address affordability issues at a time when he faces mounting political pressure to demonstrate action on voters' cost-of-living concerns.

Previously, the two men had functioned as political opponents who energized their respective supporters through mutual criticism, leaving uncertain how those supporters might react to their amicable meeting and complimentary exchanges.

"We're going to be helping him, to make everybody's dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York," the president stated.

"What I really appreciate about the president is that the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers," Mamdani said.

Both Mamdani and Trump confirmed they discussed housing affordability and the costs of groceries and utilities. Mamdani had successfully leveraged public frustration over inflation in his election campaign, similar to Trump's strategy in the 2024 presidential election.

"Some of his ideas are really the same ideas that I have," the president acknowledged regarding Mamdani's approach to inflationary issues.

The president dismissed Mamdani's previous criticisms regarding deportation raids and accusations of despotic behavior. Instead, Trump suggested that executive responsibilities tend to change a person's perspective, noting this had been true in his own experience.

Trump appeared protective of Mamdani at times, intervening on his behalf during several exchanges with reporters. When reporters asked Mamdani to clarify past statements suggesting Trump exhibited fascist tendencies, Trump interjected, "I've been called much worse than a despot."

When a reporter pressed Mamdani on whether he stood by his comments characterizing Trump as a fascist, Trump interrupted before the mayor-elect could fully respond.

"That's OK. You can just say yes. OK?" Trump said. "It's easier. It's easier than explaining it. I don't mind."

Trump similarly interceded when a reporter questioned Mamdani about flying to Washington rather than using more environmentally friendly transportation.

"I'll stick up for you," Trump offered.

Mamdani, who assumes office in January, explained that he sought the meeting to discuss methods for making New York City more affordable. Trump had previously indicated potential willingness to assist, despite having falsely labeled Mamdani a "communist" and threatened to withhold federal funding from the city.

However, Trump refrained from such characterizations during Friday's meeting. He acknowledged having previously considered restricting New York City's access to federal resources if they failed to "get along," but retreated from those threats during their conversation.

"We don't want that to happen," Trump stated. "I don't think that's going to happen."

Following the meeting, Mamdani's former campaign manager and incoming chief of staff Elle Bisgaard-Church told NY1 that while the two leaders clearly disagreed on certain issues, they found common ground on matters such as crime reduction.

"We discussed that we share a mutual goal of having a safe city where everyone can move around in comfort and ease," she explained, later adding, "We know that there have been labels thrown all around that are just simply not fair and we kept it, again, at where we could find agreement on making the city affordable."

Trump was a significant presence throughout the mayoral race. On the election's eve, he endorsed independent candidate and former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, predicting the city had "ZERO chance of success, or even survival" if Mamdani won. He also questioned Mamdani's citizenship, who was born in Uganda and naturalized as an American citizen after college, and threatened to have him arrested if he refused to cooperate with immigration authorities.

Mamdani defeated Cuomo's challenge, portraying him as a "puppet" for the president, and promised to be "a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver." During a primary debate, he declared, "I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare, as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in."

The president, who routinely uses political opponents to motivate his supporters, predicted Mamdani "will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party." As Mamdani disrupted the Democratic establishment by defeating Cuomo and his progressive policies sparked internal conflicts, Trump repeatedly portrayed Mamdani as representative of the Democratic Party.

The president has experienced several dramatic Oval Office encounters this year, including a notably tense exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February. In May, Trump dimmed the lights during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and showed a four-minute video making widely rejected claims about persecution of white Afrikaner farmers.

A senior Trump administration official, speaking anonymously about internal discussions, revealed Trump had not extensively planned for the meeting with the incoming mayor, but confirmed that threats to withhold federal funding from New York remained possible.

Mamdani stated Thursday that he was unconcerned about potential public embarrassment during the meeting and viewed it as an opportunity to present his case, while acknowledging "many disagreements with the president."

Ultimately, both men avoided confrontation, engaging in remarkably cordial exchanges before the press.

Mamdani, who resides in Queens—Trump's childhood home—has demonstrated political ruthlessness similar to Trump's campaign style. During his campaign, he appeared to adopt Trump's tactics when he noted during a televised debate that one of Cuomo's sexual harassment accusers was present in the audience. Cuomo has denied wrongdoing.

However, tensions were noticeably subdued Friday as Trump expressed sympathy for Mamdani's housing development policies.

"People would be shocked, but I want to see the same thing," the president concluded.