Trump Guessed His Political Opponent Looked Even Better in Person in Bizarre Comments
President Donald Trump was apparently surprised that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is “even more handsome in person” after meeting him for the first time.
During the political couple’s surprisingly cordial meeting at the White House last month, which came after two publicly exchanged jabs for weeks, the president apparently marveled at Mamdani’s appearance, according to a new profile of Mamdani in New York Magazine.
As Mamdani entered the Oval Office moments before the right-wing leader and self-proclaimed Democratic socialist spoke to the press, Trump loudly uttered, “Wow, you look even better in person than you do on TV.”
New York Magazine journalist David Freedlander, who attended the much-publicized meeting, added: “The tone never changed from there, and Trump seemed legitimately impressed by Mamdani.”
Trump’s comments about Mamdani’s appearance were a stark difference from what he said about the mayor-elect during an interview on “News.”60 minutes“ which aired on November 2.
After journalist Norah O’Donnell asked Trump, 79, what he thought of people comparing Mamdani, 34, to a “charismatic” left-wing version of himself, he responded bluntly: “Well, I think I’m a much better-looking person than him.”
Trump’s friendly meeting with Mamdani surprised the nation, considering the strong jabs the two took at each other before the summit.
The president repeatedly falsely referred to Mamdani as a “communist”, while the mayor-elect called Trump a “despot” and “fascist.” Mamdani has denied being a communist.
The Washington Post via Getty Images
Their feud reached a new level in September after Trump, a New York native, threatened to withhold funds from New York City if Mamdani won the mayoral race.
Trump also stated in a Truth Social post that Mamdani would face “trouble with Washington like no mayor in the history of our once-great city.”
At one point during their Nov. 21 meeting, Mamdani was asked if he still thinks Trump is a fascist. Before he could respond, the president intervened and said, “Okay, you can just say ‘yes’. It’s easier than explaining it, I don’t care.”
“Okay, yeah,” Mamdani responded with a smile as Trump smiled back and patted his arm.
But after the meeting, the mayor-elect stood by his initial opinion of Trump.
Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mamdani was asked once again if he believes Trump is a fascist.
“That’s something I’ve said in the past. I’m saying it today,” he responded. “And I think what I appreciated about the conversation I had with the president was that we were not ashamed of the places of disagreement, of the politics that have brought us to this moment.”