Of their first assembly on the White Home Friday, President Donald Trump congratulated New York Metropolis Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and showered him with reward on his historic win.
“We have one thing in common, we want this city of ours that we love to do very well,” Trump mentioned within the Oval Workplace as Mamdani stood by his facet. “And I wanted to congratulate the mayor, he really won an incredible race.”
It was a stunning change of tone for Trump, who had beforehand referred to as Mamdani a “communist lunatic,” and for Republicans normally, who’ve mentioned Mamdani is not going to solely destroy New York Metropolis along with his socialist insurance policies, however that his victory was a harbinger of socialism taking on the Democratic Occasion and probably your complete United States.
Trump didn’t wish to get into any of that on Friday. Mamdani, for now, is Trump’s favourite factor — a winner.
“I just want to congratulate — I think you’re gonna have, hopefully, a really great mayor,” Trump mentioned. “The better he does, the happier I am, I will say. There’s no difference in party, there’s no difference in anything. And we’re going to be helping him to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York. And congratulations, Mr. Mayor.”
JIM WATSON by way of Getty Photos
Mamdani, too, toned down his rhetoric and prevented criticizing Trump. A reporter requested Mamdani about his earlier feedback calling Trump’s insurance policies “fascist.”
Mamdani mentioned regardless of their variations, he and Trump spent their assembly “focused on the shared purpose of serving New Yorkers.”
Trump didn’t appear to thoughts Mamdani’s earlier feedback.
“And I’ve been called much worse than a despot, so it’s not that insulting,” Trump added. “I think he’ll change his mind after we work together.”
Later, a reporter returned to the subject, asking Mamdani if he not thought of him a fascist. Mamdani began in on a diplomatic reply, however Trump reduce him off.
“That’s OK, you can just say yes,” Trump mentioned.
“OK,” Mamdani mentioned, smiling.
“It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind,” Trump mentioned, cheerfully patting Mamdani on his arm.
Whereas it will not be shocking that the president was so good to the current winner of a mayoral election in his beloved hometown, the lovefest was jarring after members of Trump’s get together trashed Mamdani each single day for the previous six weeks. Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), particularly, opened each press convention throughout the federal government shutdown by speaking concerning the mayor-elect.
“Democrat leaders in the Senate and the House have put their own political survival in front of the needs of the American people. Exhibit A is Zohran Mamdani,” Johnson mentioned in October, including that Mamdani’s impending victory threatened to undo 250 years of American capitalism.
“We’ve been able to cling to the foundational principles of America, the ideas of individual freedom and limited government and the rule of law and peace through strength and fiscal responsibility and free markets and human dignity — all those things are in jeopardy when the Marxists take over,” Johnson mentioned. “Look at where the energy is. This should be alarming to everyone around the country.”
On Friday, it wasn’t alarming to Trump, who praised Mamdani for producing a lot buzz — together with the eye targeted on Trump that very second.
“I tell you the press has eaten this thing up,” Trump mentioned. “You know, I’ve had a lot of meetings with the heads of major countries, nobody cared. This meeting, you people have gone crazy. You know, outside you have hundreds of people waiting, this is just a small little group. For some reason the press has found this to be a very interesting meeting. The biggest people in the world, they come over from countries, nobody cares. And they did care about this meeting.”
