Mayor-elect maintains ‘fascist’ label while establishing working relationship with president
An Unlikely Détente at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
In what political observers are calling one of the most remarkable meetings in recent memory, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump met at the White House on Friday, November 22, 2025, transforming months of bitter attacks into an unexpectedly cordial exchange focused on shared concerns about urban affordability. The meeting represented a masterclass in political pragmatism, as the 34-year-old democratic socialist navigated the complex terrain between ideological conviction and practical governance.
The stakes could not have been higher. New York City receives approximately $7.5 billion in federal funding annually, money that Trump had threatened to withhold during the campaign if Mamdani won election. The president had repeatedly labeled Mamdani a “communist lunatic” and endorsed his opponent, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, in an unprecedented move just before Election Day. Mamdani, for his part, had called Trump a “fascist” and a “despot,” vowing in his victory speech to make New York “the light” against political darkness.
The Strategic Calculus Behind Cordiality
Yet when the two men emerged from their 25-minute private meeting, the tone was remarkably warm. Trump told reporters he believed Mamdani “can do a very good job” and that he would “surprise some conservative people.” Mamdani, speaking to the assembled press, emphasized their shared focus on the affordability crisis facing New Yorkers, noting that housing costs, public transit expenses, and childcare burdens had dominated conversations throughout his campaign.
Political journalist Chris Cillizza argued in his analysis that the friendly meeting was entirely predictable based on Trump’s well-documented behavioral patterns. According to Cillizza, Trump gravitates toward winners and celebrities, viewing success as the ultimate credential regardless of ideological alignment. Mamdani’s stunning defeat of a New York Democratic dynasty twice–first in the primary against Cuomo, then in the general election–positioned him precisely in the category of people Trump admires.
For Mamdani, the strategic calculation was equally clear. As he explained in a Sunday appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, his responsibility as mayor extends beyond making political points to actually delivering results for New Yorkers. “I’m not coming into the Oval Office to make a point or make a stand,” Mamdani stated. “I’m coming in there to deliver for New Yorkers.” This pragmatic approach represents a departure from pure ideological combat, instead embracing a more nuanced understanding of how power operates in American politics.
Maintaining Principles While Building Bridges
In perhaps the most striking moment of the post-meeting press conference, a reporter asked Mamdani whether he still considered Trump a fascist. Before the mayor-elect could respond, Trump interjected with humor: “That’s OK, you can just say ‘Yes.’ It’s easier. It’s easier than explaining it.” The exchange, rather than creating tension, seemed to establish a foundation for honest disagreement within a working relationship.
Mamdani confirmed on Meet the Press that he does indeed still believe Trump is a fascist and a threat to democracy. “Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe,” he stated unequivocally. But he added an important qualification: “I think what I appreciated about the conversation that I had with the president was that we were not shy about the places of disagreement, about the politics that has brought us to this moment. And we also wanted to focus on what it could look like to deliver on a shared analysis of an affordability crisis for New Yorkers.”
This approach–maintaining ideological clarity while pursuing practical cooperation–reflects a sophisticated understanding of governance. Ross Barkan, a journalist writing a book about Mamdani’s political rise, told Democracy Now that the strategy aims to minimize Trump’s potential damage to New York City. “If Trump is less antagonistic towards Mamdani, the idea is to have Trump do as little damage as possible to New York City,” Barkan explained. “He’s not going to attack. He’s going to try to build coalitions.”
The Affordability Crisis as Common Ground
Both men campaigned heavily on addressing the rising cost of living, though their proposed solutions differ dramatically. Mamdani has promised to raise taxes on the city’s highest earners to fund programs including rent stabilization, universal childcare, and free public transit. Trump’s campaign focused on deregulation and tax cuts as mechanisms to reduce costs. Yet both acknowledge that working- and middle-class families are struggling under the weight of expenses that have outpaced wage growth.
During his campaign, Mamdani made a point of speaking with New York voters in the Bronx and Queens who had supported Trump in 2024. “When I asked those New Yorkers why did they vote for the president, they told me again and again, it was cost of living, cost of living, cost of living,” Mamdani recounted. This shared recognition of the problem provided the foundation for Friday’s productive conversation, even if the two leaders ultimately pursue different policy paths.
The mayor-elect’s focus on listening to Trump voters represents a departure from typical progressive political strategy. Rather than writing off these voters as irredeemable, Mamdani sought to understand their concerns and find areas of potential collaboration. This approach could provide a template for how elected officials with sharply different ideologies might still work together on behalf of constituents.
Immigration and Public Safety: Areas of Tension
Not all topics from the meeting received the same warm reception. Mamdani addressed Trump’s threats to send National Guard troops into New York City, a tactic the president has employed in several other Democratic-led cities. While Mamdani wouldn’t confirm whether Trump explicitly ruled out such a deployment, he emphasized his confidence in the NYPD’s capability to maintain public safety without federal military intervention.
The issue of immigration enforcement also loomed large. New York’s sanctuary city policies limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration enforcement, though the city does coordinate on approximately 170 serious crimes. Mamdani expressed concern about immigrants being detained or deported for minor infractions or simply appearing at court appointments, stating his intention to “protect immigrants who call the city their home.”
These areas of fundamental disagreement remain potential flashpoints in the Trump-Mamdani relationship. When asked Saturday whether he would send troops to New York City, Trump responded simply, “If they need it,” adding that “other places need it more” currently. This leaves the door open for future intervention if the president determines it necessary.
Building an Administration: Balancing Experience and Ideology
Mamdani’s personnel decisions reflect the same balancing act evident in his approach to Trump. According to City & State New York, the mayor-elect has assembled a team that bridges generational, ideological, and experiential divides. His appointment of Dean Fuleihan, 74, as first deputy mayor brought decades of budget expertise and government experience to an administration led by a 34-year-old with limited management background.
Simultaneously, Mamdani retained Elle Bisgaard-Church, his former Assembly chief of staff and campaign manager, as chief of staff. Bisgaard-Church, also 34 and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America like Mamdani, represents continuity with the grassroots movement that powered his unlikely rise. The joint announcement of these two appointments signaled Mamdani’s intent to blend establishment credibility with progressive commitment.
Perhaps most significantly, Mamdani retained Jessica Tisch as police commissioner, a decision that drew attention during his White House meeting. Tisch, a 17-year city bureaucrat and three-time commissioner from a billionaire family, diverges from Mamdani on several policing issues. Yet both expressed commitment to working together despite these differences, with Mamdani emphasizing public safety as a core priority alongside affordability.
Democratic Party Tensions and Future Relationships
Mamdani’s relationship with national Democratic leadership remains complex. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer never endorsed his candidacy, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries waited until less than two weeks before Election Day to do so. Yet Mamdani has urged Democratic Socialists of America members not to primary challenge Jeffries and stated his support for Jeffries becoming House Speaker if Democrats retake the majority in 2026.
This positioning suggests Mamdani recognizes the importance of working within existing Democratic power structures, even as he pushes the party leftward on policy. His reported conversation with former President Barack Obama focused on “the importance of what it looks like, not only to inspire hope, but to sustain it, and then to deliver on it”–a recognition that governing requires more than campaign promises.
Looking Forward: Sustainability of the Détente
Political observers remain skeptical about the long-term sustainability of the Trump-Mamdani working relationship. Trump’s mercurial nature means today’s friend can become tomorrow’s target. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, while expressing hope for productive collaboration, noted that none of Mamdani’s policy proposals “really jump off the page for me as really strong ideas.”
For Mamdani, the challenge will be maintaining his progressive commitments while navigating the practical realities of governing a city that depends significantly on federal support. His plan to raise taxes on high earners requires approval from Governor Kathy Hochul and the state legislature in Albany–relationships he must also carefully manage. Whether he can deliver on campaign promises of rent freezes, universal childcare, and free buses while simultaneously maintaining a working relationship with a president he considers a fascist remains an open question.
What seems clear is that Mamdani has embraced a form of political maturity that distinguishes between personal beliefs and governing strategy. He refuses to soften his critique of Trump’s threat to democratic norms, yet recognizes that New Yorkers need a mayor who can work with whoever occupies the White House. This tension between principle and pragmatism may well define his tenure as mayor, offering a test case for how progressive leaders can govern effectively in an era of deep ideological polarization.
The White House meeting ultimately revealed more about both men than either might have intended. Trump demonstrated his attraction to winners and his willingness to set aside ideology when it serves his interests. Mamdani showed that maintaining one’s values need not preclude strategic cooperation. In an age of political absolutism, their unlikely détente suggests that even the most unlikely political opponents can find common ground–at least temporarily–when constituents’ needs demand it.
