On Friday, November 21, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani visited the White House to meet with President Donald Trump. While many expected this meeting to be a major clash between the two, it seemed as if they shared more in common than they previously thought.
Seemingly polar opposites in terms of political beliefs, Mamdani and Trump have had a treacherous relationship up until now. During Mamdani’s mayoral campaign, the two publicly attacked each other often over multiple different topics. Trump has called Mamdani a “communist”, and Mamdani has labeled Trump a “fascist” and a “despot.” Their private meeting was largely believed to go the same way, but actually was very “productive,” according to Mamdani.
The meeting focused on addressing affordability concerns in New York, a topic that resonated well with the president, being from New York himself. According to the New York Times, Mamdani said that he appreciated that the two “focused not on places of disagreement [but] … focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers.” This allowed the discussion to remain civil and focused, as they did not address many of the decisive disagreements that they have in terms of policy.
Trump built his initial campaign back in 2016 on bringing affordability to average Americans, while Mamdani pitched the same concept to New Yorkers this year, albeit with very different solutions for a similar problem. This gave them the sort of in-built common ground that was needed to have a productive discourse, enabling them to discuss solutions without debating policy.
While the meeting itself was held in private, a press conference followed as reporters questioned the two about the topics of their conversation. One of the most notable moments from the press conference was when Mamdani was asked by reporters if he still believed Trump to be a fascist, as Trump sat immediately next to him. The question, clearly posed to stir conflict, was met with hesitation from Mamdani before Trump gleefully responded, “That’s okay, you can just say yes. That’s easier.”
The press conference was filled with multiple other instances like this, as Trump deflected difficult and conflict-causing questions posed for Mamdani. It ended with Trump saying that he feels “very confident” that Mamdani will “do a very good job” running the city.
Politics today so often consists of two sides tearing each other apart with little to no respect for the other; this meeting was a refreshing example of real, productive politics, without any unnecessary personal attacks.