By Gabe WhisnantShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberPresident Donald Trump on Friday laughed off New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s past descriptions of him as a “despot” and a “fascist,” turning what could have been a tense moment into a brief display of banter during their much-anticipated Oval Office meeting.
When a reporter pressed Mamdani about calling Trump a despot, the president interjected with a grin:
“I’ve been called much worse than a despot. So it’s not that insulting.”
Moments later, as Mamdani began explaining their political differences after previously referring to Trump as a fascist, Trump cut in again, smiling and patting him on the arm: “That’s OK, you can just say it — I don’t mind.”
Trump and Mamdani, a democratic socialist, set aside months of incendiary rhetoric during their first meeting, striking a notably cooperative tone as they discussed housing affordability and the rising cost of living. The shift in tenor was striking: Trump has repeatedly derided Mamdani as a “communist” and a “nut job,” while Mamdani has branded the president “authoritarian” and once declared himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare.”
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The meeting happened just hours after dozens of Democrats joined Republicans in a vote to condemn socialism.
Mamdani was asked about the resolution, which passed 285-98.
"I have to be honest with you, I focus very little on resolutions, frankly," he said. "I think the focus is on the work at hand. I can tell you I am someone who is a democratic socialist. I've been very open about that. I know there might be differences about ideology, but the place of agreement is the work that needs to be done to make New York City affordable. That's what I look forward to."
But both men emphasized shared priorities after a private Oval Office conversation that aides said focused largely on economic pressures facing New Yorkers.
“We’re going to be helping him, to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York,” Trump told reporters as Mamdani stood beside him. Mamdani, who takes office in January, said he sought the meeting to discuss affordability issues that powered his insurgent campaign, echoing the themes Trump used effectively in the 2024 race.
“What I really appreciate about the president is that the meeting focused not on places of disagreement…but on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers,” he said.
Trump brushed aside past criticism from Mamdani—including claims the administration’s deportation tactics were despotic—quipping that holding executive office forces officials to evolve.
“I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually,” the president said, later shrugging off a reporter’s reminder that Mamdani once likened him to a fascist.
The meeting also carried political undertones for both men.
For Mamdani, once a relatively unknown state lawmaker, the sit-down offered a high-visibility opportunity to confront national issues and present himself as a pragmatic, city-focused leader. During the campaign, he defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo while casting himself as the candidate willing to “stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver.”
Trump, meanwhile, used the moment to highlight cost-of-living concerns at a time when voters are demanding clearer action on inflation. He suggested that many of Mamdani’s ideas “are really the same ideas that I have.”
Despite the cordial tone, tensions still linger beneath the surface. Trump has previously threatened to withhold federal funds from New York and questioned Mamdani’s citizenship—attacks the mayor-elect dismissed as political theater. A senior administration official, speaking anonymously, said those funding threats “remain on the table,” though the president had not given much thought to detailed planning for the meeting.
...Ultimately, both leaders avoided the spectacle that some advisers feared, keeping their public remarks brief and unusually calm. Trump even expressed support for Mamdani’s push to expand housing.
“People would be shocked, but I want to see the same thing,” he said, offering a rare moment of alignment between two politicians who have spent much of the past year framing each other as ideological opposites.
Updates: 11/21/25, 4:52 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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