Zohran Mamdani‘s much-anticipated meeting with Donald Trump took place at the White House on Friday afternoon and elicited a mix of reactions from the public. Trump and Mamdani covered a wide range of issues during their meeting, including affordability, immigration and tackling crime. While the two have been criticizing each other from a distance, they took a different approach during their meeting and appeared to agree on many topics.
What did Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani say during their meeting at the White House?
Despite their differences, Trump and Mamdani presented themselves as two individuals with a lot in common. At one point in the meeting, Trump told reporters that a lot of the people who voted for him also voted for Mamdani. The mayor-elect supported Trump’s statement, saying he did make a connection with some of the President’s supporters.
“We had some interesting conversation, and some of his ideas really are the same ideas I have,” Trump said. “The new word is affordability.”
Trump, who previously dubbed Mamdani as “my little communist,” continued to praise the incoming New York City mayor.
“I think this mayor is going to be doing some things that are really great,” Trump said at the meeting, per Politico.
Mamdani said he and Trump have similar goals when it comes to helping “working class people.”
“What we’re looking to do is put those people right back at the heart of our politics,” he said.
What was the reaction to Donald Trump’s meeting with Zohran Mamdani?
The meeting between Trump and Mamdani sparked reactions from public officials, as well as many more people on social media. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander specifically reacted to the moment where Trump encouraged Mamdani to call him a fascist.
“Pretty sure Zohran just charmed Donald Trump into agreeing that he’s a fascist,” Lander said, per Politico.
The bizarre moment at the White House happened when a reporter asked Mamdani if he still believes Trump is a fascist. As Mamdani began to answer, Trump interrupted and said, “It’s OK, you can say it.”
Trump’s ally, Rep. Elise Stefanik, responded with a controversial and divisive message on social media after the President refused to label Mamdani as a “jihadist.”
“We all want NYC to succeed. But we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one,” Stefanik wrote on X. “If he walks like a jihadist If he talks like a jihadist If he campaigns like a jihadist If he supports jihadists, He’s a jihadist. And he’s @KathyHochul’s jihadist.”
Grace Mausser, the co-chair for the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, told The New York Times, “I don’t think Trump is a particularly consistent or morally guided actor so we need to prepare for potentially increased federal activity in the city. But overall, Zohran has always been a clear communicator and an effective political actor, and if this leads Trump to not attack the city, I think that’s good.”