Trump praises Mamdani, the new mayor of New York, at a meeting at the White House.

President Donald Trump congratulated Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York City mayor on Friday (November 21) at the White House. This was the first time the two political opponents had met in person, and they had disagreed on everything from immigration to economic policy.

Mamdani, a little-known state lawmaker and democratic socialist who won the New York City mayoral contest earlier this month, asked Trump to meet with him to talk about the cost of living and public safety.

After a private discussion, Trump told reporters who came into the Oval Office, “We have one thing in common: we want this city of ours that we love to do very well.” “I want to congratulate the mayor. He ran an amazing race against some very smart and tough people.”

Mamdani said, “It was a productive meeting about New York City, a place we all love and admire, and the need to make it affordable for New Yorkers.”

Trump said he was happy to set aside his political differences. Trump stated, “The better he does, the happier I am.”

As Mamdani’s lead in the polls grew, Trump, a Republican, threatened to take away federal assistance from the biggest city in the US. The mayor-elect has often criticized several of Trump’s initiatives, such as his plans to step up federal immigration enforcement in New York City, where 40% of the population is foreign-born.

The 79-year-old president, who used to live in New York, has called 34-year-old Mamdani a “radical left lunatic,” a communist, and a “Jew hater,” but he hasn’t shown any proof for these claims.