President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met at the White House on Friday, a high-profile introduction between two leaders who campaigned from opposite ends of the political spectrum but signaled they are prepared to work together.
According to Fox News, it was the first time Trump met Mamdani, a democratic socialist whom his administration has publicly labeled a “communist.”
Even so, both men said they found common ground.
“We have one thing in common,” Trump said as the media entered the Oval Office. “We want this city of ours that we love to do very well. And I wanted to congratulate the mayor. He really ran an incredible race… And he beat them and he beat them easily.”
Trump said their conversations centered on affordability issues in New York City, naming housing, food, and consumer prices as areas where their agendas overlap.
The pair held a private meeting before taking questions from reporters. Trump, who called New York his “hometown,” predicted that the city is “going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor,” and pledged federal cooperation.
“I will say there’s no difference in party, there’s no difference in anything,” Trump said. “And we’re going to be helping him to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York.”
Ahead of the meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to Mamdani as a “communist,” while emphasizing that Trump is willing to meet with any American leader regardless of ideology.
During the press availability, Mamdani stood beside Trump and said their discussions focused on lifting New Yorkers out of what he described as a deepening affordability crisis.
“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.
He added that both men spoke about improving the lives of the 8.5 million residents “currently struggling under a cost-of-living crisis, with one-in-four living in poverty.”
At one point, Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich asked Mamdani whether he still believed Trump is a “fascist,” a label he used during the campaign. As Mamdani began responding, Trump interjected: “That’s okay. You can just say yes… It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.”
Trump later praised Mamdani as a “rational person” who wants the city to be “great again,” adding that New York had deteriorated in recent years.
Mamdani — who has faced accusations of antisemitism — closed the event by promising to prioritize public safety for Jewish communities.
“I care very deeply about Jewish safety, and I look forward to rooting out antisemitism across the five boroughs and protecting Jewish New Yorkers,” he said.
Mamdani won the Nov. 4 election against Republican Curtis Sliwa and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent. He will take office on Jan. 1.
