Mamdani stood like a ‘good little boy’ beside Trump during meeting, body language expert says

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani’s first meeting in the Oval Office on Friday, November 21, appeared to be a “giddy” exchange.

According to body language expert Carole Lieberman, the duo projected an overwhelming sense of happiness through their nonverbal cues as they spoke to reporters following their private conversation. Here’s what the expert observed.

Body language expert weighs in on Zohran Mamdani's first meeting with Trump

Carole Lieberman, a psychiatrist, told the New York Post, “It seems as though someone may have diffused laughing gas into the meeting they just had, because both President Trump and Mayor Mamdani seemed almost giddy.”

Lieberman called it a “love fest,” adding that Mamdani “stood like a little schoolboy, with his hands clasped most of the time, trying his hardest to look like a ‘good little boy.’” She emphasized, “It was as if he was cast in ‘Oliver (Twist),’ saying, ‘Please, sir, can I have some more?'”

Notably, during the press conference after the Oval Office meeting, the mayor-elect grinned with his hands clasped in front of him next to the president, who sat relaxed at the Resolute Desk, and the pair interacted several times. Lieberman noted, “Trump was very ‘hands on,’ tapping Mamdani and shaking hands with him. But, he made sure he tapped Mamdani’s hand last, to indicate that Trump is the one in control.”

Trump, Zohran Mamdani discuss their first Oval Office meeting

Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani discovered more common ground than expected during their first meeting at the White House. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, requested the meeting to discuss rising living costs, public safety challenges, and other issues affecting New Yorkers.

“We had a meeting today that actually surprised me. He wants to see no crime. He wants to see housing being built. He wants to see rents coming down. All things that I agree with,” Trump told reporters after their private discussion.

He added, “We had a meeting today that actually surprised me. He wants to see no crime. He wants to see housing being built. He wants to see rents coming down. All things that I agree with.”

Trump also criticized media narratives suggesting hostility between them. “If I read the newspapers and the stories, I don’t hear that. But I heard him say it today and I think that’s a very positive step… I expect to be helping him, not hurting him. I want New York City to be great. I love New York City. It’s where I come from,” he said. 

Trump praised Mamdani for running an impressive campaign against “very tough, very smart people,” and noted, “We agreed on a lot more than I thought. We share one thing in common: we want this city we love to do very well.”

“It was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City, and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.