Trump and Mamdani's Surprising White House Rapport: "JD Vance Is Jealous," Says Fox News Host

Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade commented that the White House meeting between US President Donald Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani exceeded expectations, with the two establishing an immediate rapport. Kilmeade even suggested that "J.D. Vance is jealous."

"I think J.D. Vance is jealous," Kilmeade remarked. "I think the president wants to use him [Mamdani] as a running mate. They really got along fantastic."

Kilmeade noted that Trump was "complimentary" during his conversation with Mamdani and highlighted that they shared "a friendly handshake" during their discussion.

This cordial meeting represented a significant departure from their previous contentious exchanges.

For several months, Trump had publicly criticized Mamdani, suggesting that his victory could threaten federal support for New York City. In August, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great city. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his fake communist promises." He added, "He won't be getting any of it, so what's the point of voting for him?"

However, after their face-to-face meeting in the Oval Office, Trump adopted a more conciliatory tone. He expressed his belief that the mayor-elect "can do a very good job," and told reporters, "I think you're going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor. The better he does, the happier I am."

"There's no difference in party, there's no difference in anything," Trump stated. "And we're going to be helping him to make everybody's dream come true. Having a strong and very safe New York."

When asked if he would consider living in New York under Mamdani's leadership, Trump replied, "Yeah, I would. I really would. Especially after the meeting."

Kilmeade emphasized the dramatic shift in tone, contrasting months of personal attacks with Friday's amicable exchange. He described the atmosphere as "pretty different" from their earlier rhetoric.

"This was a love fest. This was a respect fest," Kilmeade said.

Mamdani will make history as the first Muslim and first South Asian mayor in New York.

He has committed to addressing affordability issues, including housing costs, groceries, childcare, and public transportation in New York City, which has 8.5 million residents. New Yorkers currently pay almost twice the national average for rent.