On Friday, the Queens-born billionaire, now officially a Florida resident, said he was not among them. Trump would \u201cabsolutely\u201d live in the city under a Mayor Mamdani.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always feel very, very comfortable being in New York,\u201d Trump said. \u201cAnd I think much more so after the meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI think he\u2019s going to surprise some conservative people, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n
3. Trump dismisses Republican attacks on Mamdani <\/p>\n
Asked by a reporter whether he agrees with New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who has characterized Mamdani as a \u201cjihadist\u201d, Trump said he did not, and downplayed her comments as overheated campaign rhetoric in her quest to become the state\u2019s next governor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI met with a man who\u2019s a very rational person,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. Trump deflected pointed questions from conservative journalists to Mamdani<\/p>\n
Mamdani faced several pointed questions from conservative and Trump-friendly journalists \u2013 but Trump swooped in on multiple occasions to deflect on the mayor-elect\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n
When asked if he would retract his attacks on the president as a \u201cdespot\u201d and an \u201cauthoritarian\u201d, Mamdani was prepared. He avoided answering the question directly, saying: \u201cWe are very clear about our positions and our views, and what I really appreciate about the president is the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n
But before the reporter could press Mamdani further, Trump interjected: \u201cI\u2019ve been called much worse than a despot and so it\u2019s not that insulting.\u201d He predicting Mamdani might change his mind after \u201cwe get to working together\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich later followed up on the matter, asking whether Mamdani still considers Trump to be a \u201cfascist\u201d. Mamdani, cheeks flushed, began to respond, but Trump jumped in again. \u201cThat\u2019s OK,\u201d the president said, jovially tapping Mamdani\u2019s arm and telling him it was \u201ceasier\u201d to just say yes, which Mamdani did.<\/p>\n
![\"'You](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/8640.jpg\")
‘You think President Trump is a fascist?’: Donald Trump meets Zohran Mamdani \u2013 video<\/p>\n
At another point, the same reporter suggested Mamdani was a hypocrite for flying to Washington rather than taking the train from New York, which would have been the more environmentally-friendly transportation mode. \u201cI\u2019ll stick up for you,\u201d Trump offered, arguing it was much faster to fly and that the mayor-elect is busy.<\/p>\n
5. Adversaries turned affordability agenda partners<\/p>\n
Mamdani\u2019s election was just one victory in a banner night for Democrats, all of whom focused relentlessly on what they framed as a cost-of-living crisis in America. Since then, Trump has sought to re-focus his political message on affordability \u2013 and he spent much of Friday\u2019s appearance with Mamdani insisting that lowering prices was one of their shared concerns.<\/p>\n
Mamdani \u2013 whose calls to \u201cfreeze the rent\u201d and make city busses \u201cfast and free\u201d rallied New Yorkers behind his campaign \u2013 described Friday\u2019s meeting with the president \u201cproductive\u201d and said their discussion touched on the soaring cost of rent, groceries, and utilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City, and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers, the 8.5 million people who call our city their home, who are struggling to afford life in the most expensive city in the United States of America,\u201d Mamdani said.<\/p>\n