Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani‘s politics may be as different as chalk and cheese, but the Republican president focused on what the two had in ‘common’ after their meeting. Mamdani, the New York City mayor-elect, met with Trump at the White House on November 21.
US President Donald Trump (R) meets with New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 21, 2025. (AFP)
After the meeting, Trump issued a statement, where he noted that the two had ‘one thing in common’, that is, their love for New York City. Trump too was born in New York City and said “we want this city of ours that we love to do very well.”
The video was shared by the Trump administration’s Rapid Response 47 X handle. It noted Trump say, “We’ve just had a great meeting—a really good, very productive meeting. We have one thing in common: we want this city of ours that we love to do very well.”
What Trump said after meeting with Mamdani
Trump, who’s previously been very critical of Mamdani, seemed to soften his stance somewhat after the meeting at the White House. “He’s got views that are a little out there, but who knows. We’re going to see what works,” Trump said.
The President added that some of his views had changed too, and expressed confidence in Mamdani’s ability to do a ‘good job’. He also added that he thought Mamdani was ‘going to surprise some conservative people.’
“We had a meeting today that actually surprised me… We may disagree how we get there [on policy],” Trump said, adding “I expect to be helping him, not hurting him… because I want NYC to be great. Look, I love NYC. That’s where I come from.”
The president also addressed likely differences between him and Mamdani, saying “There will be topics that we disagree on. I think we’ll probably come to a conclusion… Ultimately, it’s for the good of New York… If this city could be unbelievable — if he could be a spectacular success, I’d be very happy.”
Speaking on the attention from the media on the meeting, Trump said “The press has eaten this thing up. I’ve had a lot of meetings with the heads of major countries—nobody cared…. outside, you have hundreds of people waiting… for some reason the press has found this to be a very interesting meeting.”
Meanwhile, Mamdani was asked to clarify if he thought Trump was a fascist. However, the president intervened before he could answer and laughed it off.
He said, “That’s ok. You can just say yes. That’s easier. It’s easier than explaining.”