President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani have spent months branding each other as political adversaries.
According to The Associated Press, Trump has called Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and a “total nut job.” Mamdani has labeled Trump’s administration “authoritarian” and described himself as “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare.”
Now the two are set to meet face-to-face for the first time on Friday at 3 p.m. EST at the White House — a moment that promises both tension and political theater.
Despite their rhetoric, each man has signaled a willingness to look for common ground. Both say they want to help the city they’ve long called home, and each has something to gain from the encounter.
In a Fox News Radio interview Friday morning, Trump predicted the meeting would be “quite civil.”
“I think we’ll get along fine,” he said. “Look, we’re looking for the same thing. We want to make New York strong.”
He acknowledged Mamdani’s “different philosophy” but credited him for “a good race.” When asked about the mayor-elect’s sharp criticism, Trump brushed it off, saying, “I’m a little hard, too, in all fairness.”
For Mamdani, a democratic socialist who takes office in January, the meeting is an opportunity to press Trump on affordability issues in New York City. Trump has expressed interest in helping, even as he has repeatedly branded Mamdani a “communist” and suggested he might pull federal funding from the city.
Both men know the political value of sparring with each other. Trump’s presence loomed over the mayoral race. On the eve of the election, he endorsed independent candidate Andrew Cuomo while predicting New York had “ZERO chance of success, or even survival” under Mamdani.
He also questioned Mamdani’s citizenship and warned that he might have him arrested over disagreements related to immigration enforcement.
Mamdani ultimately defeated Cuomo after casting him as a “puppet” for Trump. During one 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.”
Trump has since suggested Mamdani could become “one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party,” pointing to the internal Democratic turmoil stirred by Mamdani’s progressive agenda.
For Mamdani, the meeting is a rare chance to confront the president directly and elevate his own profile. For Trump, it offers an opportunity to highlight affordability efforts at a time when voters are increasingly anxious about the cost of living.
Still, the tone of the meeting remains uncertain. Trump’s schedule lists it as private, though he often brings in a small group of reporters without warning.
His recent Oval Office gatherings have featured dramatic confrontations, including a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a dimly lit meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that included a controversial four-minute video.
A senior administration official stated that Trump had not devoted much time to planning the meeting, but confirmed that threats to block federal funding for New York remain a possibility.
Mamdani, for his part, said he isn’t worried about being publicly embarrassed. He sees the meeting as a necessary step, even while acknowledging “many disagreements with the president.”
And if things turn hostile, Mamdani may be ready. Like Trump, he rose as a political outsider with a populist message and a sharp instinct for media moments.
He also showed a ruthless streak during his campaign, referencing one of the women who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment during a televised debate — a tactic reminiscent of Trump’s own 2016 debate maneuver against Hillary Clinton.
Friday’s sit-down could produce agreement, confrontation, or something in between. But for both men, the political stakes could not be clearer.
