Mamdani meets Trump… Pledged to work together and avoided addressing disagreement and focusing on serving New Yorkers

After a highly criticized election campaign, US President Donald Trump and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani vowed to work together, exchanging smiles and compliments in a meeting in the Oval Office.

“I think you’re going to get, and I hope so, an excellent mayor,” the Republican president said, adding that he would get happier as the Democratic mayor achieves successes.

Trump, who has previously described Mamdani as a “communist,” told reporters after the meeting, “We’ll help him achieve everyone’s dream, which is that New York will be strong and very safe”.

Mamadani described the meeting as “very productive,” stressing that the meeting “didn’t address the points of disagreement, which are many,” but focused on their “common goal” of “serving the people of New York” in the fight against the high cost of living, a promise he made during his campaign.

In front of the cameras, Trump, a New Yorker himself, seemed to be counting on the 34-year-old Democrat, predicting that he would surprise some conservatives.

When asked about previous remarks by Mamadani in which he was called a “tyrant,” Trump joked, “I’ve been told a lot of worse things than a tyrant… Not a big insult… Maybe he will change his mind”.

Trump expressed his pleasure at the interest generated by the meeting, and a large number of reporters flocked to the White House to cover the event.

The US president congratulated his guest on his amazing campaign, which he started completely obscure, eventually becoming a mayor and a rising star for American progressives.

Trump pointed to Mamadani’s statement that “many of those who voted for me voted for him,” and the mayor explained “one in ten,” to which the president indicated he didn’t mind.

Ahead of the meeting, Mamdani said, “I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I’ll work with him on any program that benefits New Yorkers… If any program hurts New Yorkers, I’ll be the first to announce it,” he said, adding that he was willing to explore all avenues that would make life in our city easier.

Trump had announced his endorsement of his primary rival, Andrew Cuomo, the former Democratic governor of New York state.

But on November 4, Zohran Mamdani won more than 50% of the vote against his two rivals, with a record turnout of more than two million voters, something the city hasn’t seen since 1969.

Despite the differences, Mamadani cannot afford to have a complete breakdown with the US president, who has threatened to cut off federal funds allocated to New York and ordered the deployment of the National Guard to several Democratic strongholds.

As he waits for the mayor of New York, Mamdani is also trying to reassure his critics.

Faced with heavy criticism for his inexperience, as he had previously only served as a neighborhood member of the New York State Legislature, he surrounded himself with prominent figures.