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Donald Trump And Zohran Mamdani Finally Meet: What Happened Next Stunned Washington

The two men, who spent the mayoral campaign taking repeated shots at each other on immigration, policing, and economic policy, appeared unusually cordial as they stood side by side in the Oval Office.

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Donald Trump And Zohran Mamdani Finally Meet: What Happened Next Stunned Washington

Donald Trump And Zonhran Mamdani Finally Meet: What Happened Next Stunned Washington

In a meeting that stunned both political observers and lawmakers across the aisle, US President Donald Trump set aside months of hostility on Friday to warmly welcome New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House.

The two men, who spent the mayoral campaign taking repeated shots at each other on immigration, policing, and economic policy, appeared unusually cordial as they stood side by side in the Oval Office, exchanging compliments and downplaying their past clashes.

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 Trump, who had previously branded the democratic socialist Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and a “total nut job”, offered a dramatically different assessment this time. “I think he is going to surprise some conservative people,” the President told reporters, adding that the pair discovered “a lot more” common ground than expected. “Some of his ideas are the same ideas I have,” Trump said. “The better he does, the happier I am,” he added.

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The tone of the meeting proved bewildering to many, especially given the vitriol that marked their earlier exchanges. Videos circulating online showed Trump stepping in repeatedly to answer difficult questions directed at Mamdani, at one point appearing almost protective.


When reporters pressed Mamdani to address his earlier comments likening Trump’s actions to fascism, the President cut in: “That’s OK. You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.” He added with a half-smile, “I’ll stick up for you.”

In another moment, Trump dismissed the “jihadist” label that some Republican lawmakers had used to attack Mamdani during the campaign. “No, I don’t,” he said when asked if he believed the newly elected Mayor fit that description. “I met with a man who’s a very rational person.” Trump even suggested he would consider moving back to New York—his birthplace—once Mamdani takes office on January 1.

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Mamdani, meanwhile, struck a measured tone after the meeting. “What I really appreciate about the President is that the meeting focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, but on the shared purpose we have in serving New Yorkers,” he said.

The unexpected public warmth set off a wave of disbelief in Washington. “What the heck just happened?” Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib posted on social media after clips from the meeting went viral.


The White House encounter came just a day after House Republicans pushed through a symbolic resolution denouncing the “horrors of socialism”, a move widely interpreted as a jab at Mamdani ahead of his meeting with the President.

In the lead-up, some conservative staffers had mockingly warned that a “communist is coming” to the White House.

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Donald Trump Zohran Mamdani Mamdani White House meeting Trump Mamdani meeting Trump praises Mamdani Trump-Mamdani

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