Overview
- After a roughly 30-minute private discussion, the two described their Oval Office meeting as productive and focused on lowering costs for housing, groceries and utilities.
- Trump repeatedly defended Mamdani during the press exchange, calling him a “very rational person,” rejecting a GOP claim that he is a “jihadist,” and saying he would feel comfortable living in Mamdani’s New York.
- Mamdani said Sunday that he still believes Trump is a fascist but framed the talks as a chance to begin delivering on housing, child care and other cost-of-living priorities.
- The stage-managed encounter featured light humor as Trump deflected pointed questions, and Mamdani noted they also viewed a portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt during the visit.
- A workable relationship could affect city finances that rely on about $7.4 billion in federal funding for FY2026, even as major policy differences and approvals still loom.