Trump praises Zohran Mamdani:

In his first meeting at the White House on Friday, President Donald Trump congratulated New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and showered him with praise for his historic victory.

“We have one thing in common: We want this city of ours that we love to do very well,” Trump said in the Oval Office as Mamdani stood by his side. “And I wanted to congratulate the mayor, he really won an incredible race.”

It was a shocking change of tone for Trump, who had previously called Mamdani a “communist lunatic,” and for Republicans in general, who have said that Mamdani will not only destroy New York City with his socialist policies, but that his victory was a harbinger that socialism would take over the Democratic Party and possibly the entire United States.

Trump didn’t want to get into any of that on Friday. Mamdani, for now, is Trump’s favorite thing: a winner.

“I just want to say congratulations. I think, hopefully, we’ll have a really fantastic mayor,” Trump said. “The better you do, the happier I am, I will say. There is no difference in the party, there is no difference in anything. And we will help you make everyone’s dream come true: to have a strong and very safe New York. And congratulations, Mr. Mayor.”

JIM WATSON via Getty Images

Mamdani also toned down his rhetoric and avoided criticizing Trump. A reporter asked Mamdani about his previous comments calling Trump’s policies “fascist.”

Mamdani said that despite their differences, he and Trump spent their meeting “focused on the shared purpose of serving New Yorkers.”

Trump didn’t seem to mind Mamdani’s earlier comments.

“And I’ve been called a lot worse than a despot, so it’s not that insulting,” Trump added. “I think he will change his mind after we work together.”

Later, a reporter returned to the topic and asked Mamdani if ​​he still considered Trump a fascist. Mamdani began to give a diplomatic response, but Trump interrupted him.

“It’s okay, they can just say yes,” Trump said.

“Okay,” Mamdani said, smiling.

“It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t care,” Trump said, patting Mamdani happily on the arm.

While it may not be surprising that the president was so kind to the recent winner of a mayoral election in his beloved hometown, the love fest was jarring after members of Trump’s party criticized Mamdani every day for the past six weeks. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), in particular, opened every press conference during the government shutdown by talking about the mayor-elect.

“Democratic leaders in the Senate and House have put their own political survival before the needs of the American people. Exhibit A is Zohran Mamdani,” Johnson said in October, adding that Mamdani’s imminent victory threatened to undo 250 years of American capitalism.

“We’ve been able to hold on to the founding principles of America, the ideas of individual liberty and limited government and the rule of law and peace through force and fiscal responsibility and free markets and human dignity — all of those things are in danger when the Marxists take power,” Johnson said. “Look where the power is. This should be alarming to everyone across the country.”

On Friday, it wasn’t alarming for Trump, who praised Mamdani for generating so much buzz, including the attention focused on Trump at that very moment.

“I’m telling you, the press ate this up,” Trump said. “You know, I’ve had many meetings with the heads of major countries, no one cared. At this meeting, you guys have gone crazy. You know, there are hundreds of people waiting outside, this is just a small group. For some reason, the press has found this to be a very interesting meeting. The most important people in the world, they come from countries, no one cares. And they did care about this meeting.”