New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani says nothing has changed about his view of President Donald Trump — even after the two men held a closely watched meeting at the White House on Friday.
According to Fox News, during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, host Kristen Welker asked Mamdani whether he still believes Trump is a “fascist,” a label he has used before.
“That’s something that I’ve said in the past, and I say it today,” Mamdani replied.
Welker pressed him further, pointing to a moment during a media spray in the Oval Office when Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich asked him the same question. Mamdani began to respond, but before he could finish, President Trump gently interrupted.
“That’s OK,” Trump said, patting Mamdani’s arm. “You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.”
Mamdani didn’t back away from his comments on Sunday, either. Welker asked if he still believes Trump is a “threat to democracy” or a “despot,” two descriptions he has also used in the past.
“Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe,” Mamdani said.
But he also stressed that his disagreements with the president do not prevent them from working together. “I think that’s the thing that’s important in our politics — that we don’t shy away from where we have disagreements, but we understand what it is that brings us to the table,” he said.
Mamdani said he “appreciated” his conversation with Trump, describing the meeting as candid and focused on issues that matter to New Yorkers, particularly affordability and housing.
Friday’s meeting was held just weeks after Mamdani’s decisive victory in New York City’s mayoral race. The two discussed priorities for the incoming administration, including cost-of-living concerns and strategies to improve public safety.
On that point, Mamdani reiterated Sunday that he plans to keep the NYPD’s uniformed ranks at roughly 35,000 officers. He said his administration will also work to shift more non-emergency calls away from police and toward mental health professionals and other specialized responders.
Despite their stark political differences — and the headlines generated by Mamdani’s past comments — the mayor-elect said he remains committed to engaging with the White House on behalf of his city.
