President Donald Trump’s Oval Office meetings have taken on must-watch status during his second term. But few have generated as much anticipation as the one on Friday afternoon when he hosted the newly elected Mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani. Many expected a clash between the President and the young, up-and-coming democratic socialist, whom Republicans had made clear they would very much like to turn into their bogeyman of 2026. What we saw clearly did not follow that script. Here are some takeaways from the surprisingly friendly affair. It was an unexpected parade of pleasantries Okay, some predicted something like this might happen. But it was noteworthy nonetheless—especially from Trump. Reporters peppered both men with questions pointing to their differences and the terrible things they had said about each other. Yet both demurred from taking the bait for a spat, emphasizing common ground. Among Trump’s comments were: “I think he’s actually going to surprise some conservatives with our ideas.” “Some of his ideas actually align with my own ideas.” “We agree on a lot more issues than I expected.” “I think this mayor can do something really great.” When a reporter noted that Trump had threatened to cut funding to New York if Mamdani was elected, the president suggested he would use that card if necessary. But he also downplayed the likelihood. “I intend to help him, not hinder him,” Trump said. The compliments flowed mostly from Trump to Mamdani. But Mamdani clearly saved his ammunition against Trump. Instead of hashing out disagreements with Trump, he kept returning to his main theme: affordability. When asked about having called the U.S. government complicit in Israel’s alleged genocide in Gaza, Mamdani did not back down but quickly pivoted back to the issue of affordability. Near the end, a reporter asked if New York likes Trump. Mamdani did not go that far but offered the president a favor. “I can say that more New Yorkers voted for President Trump in the last presidential election precisely because of this focus on the cost of living,” Mamdani said, “and I really look forward to working together on delivering on that affordability agenda.” Related Story A shopper browses the spice aisle. Spices are covered by a USDA supplemental nutrition program. Affordability Crisis Forces Trump to Radically Reshape Economic Plan Mid-Stream Trump continued to defend Mamdani But it wasn’t just about the pleasantries exchanged. Trump even seemed to act as a defender of his new acquaintance. When a reporter asked Mamdani about having previously called Trump a “fascist,” Trump essentially gave him permission to say it. “That’s okay. You can just say yes,” Trump said. “It’s easier. Easier than explaining.” Similarly, when it was pointed out that Mamdani had called Trump a despot, Trump himself added, “I’ve been called worse than a despot.” When a reporter asked about Mamdani’s criticism of Trump’s deportation operations, Trump suggested it wasn’t a central theme of their discussion. This was despite deportations being perhaps Trump’s central concern regarding New York for much of the year. “He doesn’t want to see crime, and I don’t want to see crime,” Trump said. “And I have very little doubt that we’re not going to get along on that issue.” President Donald Trump meets with the newly elected Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Birds of a feather flock together So why the parade of pleasantries? It seems to have boiled down to what we have seen from Trump before. Even when he disagrees with someone politically, he seems to respect political toughness and winners. And Mamdani is a winner right now. Mamdani is also clearly a gifted politician, successful in a region of the country Trump greatly values. That Trump would appreciate a likable, talented politician from Queens shouldn’t be much of a shock. And to the extent there was political calculus involved, perhaps the White House didn’t want to pick a fight with Mamdani right now. After all, he’s a candidate who scored big on precisely the issue Trump is struggling with right now: affordability and the cost of living. Engaging in a spat with Mamdani—knowing his tight discipline on messaging—might have been deemed risky. Related Story NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference at City Hall Park on Thursday. What Americans Think of Zohran Mamdani But Trump undermined the Republican Party’s core strategy But the friendly tone didn’t come without potential political costs. The script was vastly different from what many had predicted—and how Republicans had framed the affair. “It speaks volumes that a communist is coming to the White House tomorrow,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday, “because that’s the kind of mayor the Democratic Party elected in the nation’s largest city.” Vice President J.D. Vance joked he “might have an upset stomach” to avoid meeting with Mamdani. Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott called Mamdani a “literal communist” late Friday morning and predicted he was “on his way to the White House to be mentored by President Trump.” Or not mentored. Yes, it’s interesting that we got something entirely different. But it’s also rather baffling. The thing is, Republicans have been saying for weeks and even months that they are preparing to tie Democrats across the country to Mamdani’s policies. Democrats seemed afraid of this too, judging by how reluctant some were to endorse him. Related Story NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference at City Hall Park on Thursday. What Americans Think of Zohran Mamdani This was the first major opportunity for the Republican Party to make that message—to draw that contrast between the Trump agenda and the alleged communism that has overtaken the national Democratic Party. Trump completely shot that strategy down. That doesn’t mean the Republican Party will entirely abandon it, but it undercuts it when you see Trump on video next to Mamdani emphasizing their commonalities and suggesting that conservatives might be pleasantly surprised by the guy. Trump even dismissed a common Republican attack line that Mamdani is a “Jihadist.” When asked if he agreed with the assertion by Rep. Elise Stefanik, the Republican nominee for Governor of New York, he responded, “No, I don’t agree.” “She’s running a campaign right now,” Trump said, “and you say all sorts of things when you’re running a campaign.” It seems Trump doesn’t want everyone to take the Republican Party’s attacks on Mamdani too seriously. Perhaps the most interesting question now is whether any conservatives will criticize Trump for completely and unconditionally forgiving this alleged communist-Jihadist.
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