WASHINGTON, DC (WWNY) – President Trump praised New York City’s mayor-elect in the Oval Office on Friday, a turnaround from weeks ago when the president was insulting Zohran Mamdani.
Also, when Trump was asked about what Congresswoman Elise Stefanik called the mayor-elect, Trump said he didn’t agree with Stefanik.
Mamdani won November’s election to become New York City’s next mayor. He met with President Trump for 30 minutes in the Oval Office where Trump said he wanted to help Mamdani, not hurt him.
Leading up to the election, Trump railed on Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, calling him several times a communist.
North Country Congresswoman and New York Gubernatorial Candidate, Elise Stefanik, called Mamdani a Jihadist, and Trump was asked about that on Friday.
“Multiple times, ‘Do you think you’re standing next to a Jihadist right now in the Oval Office?’ No, I know, but she’s at that campaign, and yeah, the same thing sometimes in a campaign. She’s a very capable person, but you know, you really have to ask her about that, but I don’t particularly, I think I make it with a very- I met with a man who’s a very rational person, I think it wants to make it greater than ever before and if he can we’ll be out there cheering I’ll be cheering for him,” said Trump.
We’ve asked Stefanik’s team about President Trump’s comments and a spokesperson sent back to us Stefanik’s post on X, formerly known as Twitter. See below:
We all want NYC to succeed.
But we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.
If he walks like a jihadist
If he talks like a jihadist
If he campaigns like a jihadist
If he supports jihadists,
He’s a jihadist.
And he’s @KathyHochul’s jihadist. pic.twitter.com/JZaM29d82R
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) November 21, 2025
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