Trump posts Mamdani's photo in Oval Office, says ‘Big progress’ with Declaration of Independence

WASHINGTON, DC:  President Donald Trump on Tuesday, March 3, shared a photo of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani standing next to the Declaration of Independence in the Oval Office, marking the latest development in their unique relationship.

The image, posted to Trump’s Truth Social platform, showed Mamdani lightly smiling beside a framed copy of the founding document. The moment reflected a cordial dynamic between the two leaders despite their public disagreements.

Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Mamdani

Trump posted the photo of Mamdani next to the Declaration of Independence and wrote, “Zohran has come a long way embracing, of course, the Declaration of Independence while at The Oval Office — Big progress!”

The photo was taken Thursday when Mamdani met with Trump at the White House to discuss a housing project in their shared hometown. It marked the second meeting between the two since Mamdani was elected mayor in November last year.

During Thursday’s meeting, Mamdani proposed a $21 billion plan to build 12,000 housing units in Queens, the borough he represented in the New York State Assembly and where the president was born. 

As part of the visit, Mamdani presented Trump with a copy of a 1975 New York Daily News front page carrying the headline, “[Gerald] Ford to City: Drop Dead.” He also paired it with a mock Daily News cover featuring Trump’s face and the headline, “Trump to City: Let’s Build.”

Mamdani later wrote on X, alongside a photo of the two men. In the image, Trump held the front pages and smiled broadly. He said, “I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon, I’m looking forward to building more housing in New York City.”

Public criticism and policy differences between Trump and Mamdani

Later that day, Mamdani shared another update on X that Trump had informed him by phone that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would release Columbia student Elmina Aghayeva after the mayor raised the issue during their meeting.

The arrest took place at the residence owned by Columbia University, according to university president Claire Shipman. "Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a 'missing person,'" Shipman wrote in an early letter to students.

Despite their cordial in-person interactions, both leaders have continued to criticize one another publicly.

During his State of the Union address last Tuesday, Trump labeled the democratic socialist mayor as a “communist.” The president said, “I think he’s a nice guy, actually speak to him a lot. Bad policy, but nice guy.”

Meanwhile, Mamdani on X criticized the initial US-Israeli strikes in Iran, calling them a “catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression.” He further added, “Opening a new theater of war. Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change. They want relief from the affordability crisis. They want peace.”