Zohran Mamdani earns praise from New Yorkers for doing a ‘good job with President Trump’
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A day after the surprisingly warm meeting between New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump at the White House, New Yorkers seem impressed by their mayor’s charm but are also cautious about being optimistic.
The meeting between the two marked a shift from open hostilities to acknowledging shared goals.
New Yorkers cautiously praise Zohran Mamdani after meeting Trump
“I really don’t like the guy, but I’m glad that he was able to go in there and do a good job with the president,” John Lani told CNN on Saturday. “Maybe we’ll get some funding, we won’t shut down congestion pricing. Maybe we’ll get some stuff for the subway, we’ll see what it does for the state.”
After watching news coverage of the meeting, Sherry and Steve Cohen, who live in Manhattan, said they wanted to give Mamdani a chance.
“I’d like to think that Mamdani is being smart enough to play Trump and praise the man because he needs things for New York,” Steve Cohen said. “Unfortunately, this is what you have to do. You have to bow down, praise him, and walk out and wash your hands after.”
Shelly Payson, who is supportive of Mamdani, said she thought Mamdani had a strategy going into the meeting that worked.
“I think that Trump continues to be the most transactional president we’ve ever had, and if people are smart, they find a way to give him something which may be meaningless, but it’s important to him, and then he loves you and rolls out the red carpet,” Payson said.
Trump praises NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani
Despite Mamdani’s anti-Trump platform and his tour, “The Five Boroughs Against Trump,” the Oval Office meeting was friendly. Trump had previously called Mamdani a “communist” and even threatened to have him arrested for his plans to obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
Yet the meeting proved far from hostile. Later on Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social, “It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!” along with photos from their discussion.
Trump also congratulated Mamdani on his victory, saying, “I want to congratulate the mayor; he really ran an incredible race against some very tough people, very smart people.”
Although Trump backed his mayoral opponent, Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani won a historic victory, securing over one million votes, a milestone not reached since 1969.
Mamdani acknowledged their ideological differences but emphasized shared goals.
“We focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City, and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers,” the newly elected mayor said.
