Overview
- Speaking on NBC Sunday, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said he still considers President Donald Trump a fascist, even as he emphasized pursuing results for residents once he takes office on January 1.
- The comments followed their roughly half-hour Oval Office meeting Friday that both sides called productive, focusing on housing costs, childcare and food prices.
- Trump praised Mamdani after the sit-down, saying he would help him become a “great mayor” and telling reporters it was “okay” for Mamdani to say he views him as a fascist.
- Mamdani described potential cooperation on fixing what he called a broken building and permitting system while reaffirming New York’s sanctuary-city protections and local control over public safety.
- The unusually warm exchange drew mixed reactions across the political spectrum, with criticism from some right-wing figures and segments of the left alongside calls for pragmatic engagement.