New York City Mayor-elect Zahran Mamdani has reiterated his view of President Donald Trump as a fascist, despite a recent cordial meeting at the White House. Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, affirmed his position in an interview with NBC News on Sunday.
“It’s something I’ve said in the past, and I stand by it today,” Mamdani stated, emphasizing that his perspective remains unchanged. However, he also highlighted the productive nature of his discussion with the President.
“What I appreciated about the conversation I had with the President is that we weren’t shy about the points of disagreement and the policies that have gotten us to this moment,” Mamdani explained. He added, “I found the meeting I had with the President to be fruitful and get us back to the core subjects of the campaign we ran: the cost of housing, the cost of childcare, the cost of groceries, and the cost of utilities.”
The meeting between Mamdani and Trump on Friday followed months of sharp exchanges. Despite past tensions, both pledged to collaborate for the betterment of New York City. During a press briefing at the White House, Trump even came to Mamdani’s defense when a reporter questioned the Mayor-elect about his fascist label.
“That’s okay. You can say it very simply… It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind,” Trump interjected, deflecting the potentially awkward question. This show of support came after Trump had previously threatened to cut federal funding to New York City and deploy the National Guard.
At the White House, Trump praised Mamdani’s historic election victory, stating that he is capable of doing “a fantastic job.” Addressing the residents of New York, Trump said, “You’re going to have a really great mayor. The more successful he is, the happier I am. We’re going to help everybody achieve their dreams and have New York be very strong and very safe.”
Mamdani secured 50.4% of the vote in the recent New York City mayoral election, surpassing his closest competitor, Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, by approximately 9 percentage points. He is scheduled to officially commence his duties at the beginning of next year, succeeding Eric Adams on January 1, 2026. At 34 years old, Mamdani will be the youngest mayor in the city’s history and the first Muslim to hold the office.
