U.S. President Donald Trump and newly elected New York City Mayor Zokhran Mamdani met at the White House on Friday in an unexpectedly positive atmosphere, pledging to set aside their differences and work together for the future of the city, LETA reports citing AFP.
34-year-old leftist politician Mamdani, who won the New York City mayoral election this month, had previously sharply criticized Trump, comparing him to "bad landlords who exploit their tenants." In turn, 79-year-old Trump referred to Mamdani as a "communist" and suggested the possibility of his deportation since he was born in Uganda.
However, their meeting in the Oval Office became an example of politeness.
Smiling Trump praised Mamdani's historic electoral victory, stating that he is capable of "doing great things," and called him "a man who truly wants to see New York great again."
"We will help him fulfill every person's dream of a strong and very safe New York," Trump said.
Mamdani described the meeting as "very productive" and spoke of the "shared admiration and love" both leaders have for the largest city in the U.S. and the financial center of the country.
Trump shared photos of the meeting on his social network Truth Social, writing: "It was a great honor to meet Zokhran Mamdani — the new mayor of New York!"
Some conservatives expressed dissatisfaction: well-known far-right activist Laura Loomer called the unexpected warmth of the meeting a harbinger of political disaster for Republicans.
"After today, the Democrats will achieve huge success in the midterm elections," Loomer wrote on the platform X. "What kind of campaign will Republicans have by 2026 if Mamdani and his policies are now considered reasonable?"
Trump and Mamdani both grew up in the Queens area of New York City, but otherwise, they are extremely different.
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