In an outcome that took many observers and voters by surprise, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the elected mayor of New York, the “socialist” Zohran Mamdani, met this Friday, November 21, 2025, at the White House, in a tone that was more than cordial, even friendly. The meeting represents (at least for now) the end of open hostilities between the federal administration and the largest city in the country.
The meeting in the Oval Office represents a drastic change in the tone of relations between the two. During the campaign, the exchange of pennants was fierce: Trump repeatedly dubbed Mamdani a “100% communist nutcase” and threatened to cut essential funding to the city. In response, the mayor, who defines himself as a “democratic socialist”, classified the President as a “despot” and “fascist”.
However, economic pragmatism seems to have prevailed over the ideological battle and both found several points of agreement in their objectives and even in their methods.
Upon leaving the meeting, Donald Trump appeared alongside Mamdani, praising his former rival. “We had an excellent, very productive meeting”, declared the President. “We have one thing in common: we want this city of ours, which we love so much, to be very successful.”
The dialogue was dominated by the affordability crisis that is plaguing New York, with both leaders identifying common priorities to stem the high cost of living. The discussion covered crucial topics such as housing, where measures were discussed to contain rising rents and increase the supply of homes, extending to combating inflation in the prices of food and essential services. Public security was also addressed as a fundamental pillar to guarantee the economic stability of the metropolis.
Trump surprised by stating that, despite Mamdani’s “out of the ordinary” views, he believes he will do a “very good job”, guaranteeing that the White House will “help, not harm” the new New York administration.
For Zohran Mamdani, the visit to Washington was an exercise in realpolitik. The mayor stressed that the focus was not on deep political differences, but on the “shared purpose of serving New Yorkers”. Mamdani explained that the conversation focused on the population’s real difficulties, from the price of grocery stores to the various ways in which citizens are being pushed out of the city due to prohibitive costs.
This stance validates the mayor’s strategy of separating the ideological struggle from the practical needs of governance, ensuring that New York is not isolated from the federal support necessary for its infrastructures.
The meeting ended with Trump defending Mamdani from aggressive questions from the press and stating that he would “absolutely” live in a socialist-governed New York. It remains to be seen whether this seemingly unlikely alliance will withstand the political challenges of 2026.