Overview
- After a roughly 30-minute private discussion, both leaders described the Oval Office meeting as cordial and productive, citing shared focus on rent, groceries and utilities.
- Trump said he wants Mamdani to succeed and pledged help, a reversal from earlier threats to punish New York City, while acknowledging they may differ on how to reach common goals.
- Pressed on past insults, Trump repeatedly intervened to shield Mamdani, telling him to "just say yes" when asked if he still thinks Trump is a fascist and brushing off "despot" remarks.
- Trump rejected a GOP ally’s Islamophobic attack on Mamdani as a "jihadist," calling the mayor-elect "a very rational person" and saying he would feel comfortable living in Mamdani’s New York.
- The détente carries practical stakes for City Hall and political upsides for the White House, as New York’s FY2026 plan counts on about $7.4 billion in federal funds and both parties stress affordability.