As New York Metropolis Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani wrapped up his high-stakes assembly with President Trump Friday, the president mentioned the 2 had a fantastic dialog centered on the way forward for New York Metropolis.
The 2 leaders spent half an hour answering questions from reporters within the Oval Workplace and highlighting some shocking areas of settlement.
Listed below are the highest 4 takeaways from the assembly.
The assembly was surprisingly cordial
Mr. Trump and Mamdani have spent months criticizing one another. For 2 individuals who appeared, going into the assembly, to be at such loggerheads, the conviviality the 2 displayed, cracking jokes and providing pleasant pats with each other, was shocking.
They joked about previous names they’ve known as each other. At one level, Mr. Trump responded when Mamdani was requested about having known as the president a “despot” and “fascist.”
“I have been known as a lot worse than a despot,” Mr. Trump mentioned. “I believe he’ll change his thoughts as soon as he will get to know me.”
In the course of the assembly, Mr. Trump clapped Mamdani on the shoulder in a pleasant gesture. At one level, Mr. Trump advised reporters Mamdani may find yourself being the perfect mayor New York has ever seen.
“I simply wish to congratulate [him], I believe you are going to have, hopefully, a very nice mayor, and the higher he does, the happier I’m,” Mr. Trump mentioned.
The 2 pledged to work collectively
Mamdani and Mr. Trump, who each have roots in Queens, mentioned repeatedly they look ahead to working collectively.
“I anticipate to be serving to him, not hurting him,” Mr. Trump mentioned. “An enormous assist, as a result of I would like New York Metropolis to be nice.”
The 2 appeared to bury the hatchet, abandoning the name-calling and divisive rhetoric.
Mamdani appeared to relish his first check of diplomacy on the nationwide stage, smiling and laughing as the 2 spoke about frequent floor.
“Once I spoke to New Yorkers who had voted for the president final November on Hillside Avenue and Fordham Street, I heard, many times, two main causes. One, was that they needed an finish to ceaselessly wars. They needed an finish to taxpayer {dollars} we had funding violations of human rights, they usually needed to deal with the price of residing disaster. And I appreciated the possibility to debate each of these issues,” Mamdani mentioned.
“He mentioned a whole lot of my voters really voted for him, and I am OK with that,” Mr. Trump mentioned.
Mr. Trump has beforehand threatened to drag federal funding if Mamdani received. He mentioned Friday he and Mamdani are aligned on many points, like maintaining New York Metropolis protected.
“So, we’ll work collectively. We’ll make it possible for if there are horrible individuals, that we wish to get them out,” Mr. Trump mentioned. “He desires to have a protected New York. In the end, a protected New York goes to be a fantastic New York.”
Mr. Trump mentioned he’d really feel comfy residing in New York underneath a Mamdani administration.
Mamdani bought good recommendation
Earlier than the assembly, Mamdani spoke by telephone with Gov. Kathy Hochul, Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Based mostly on the result of the assembly, Mamdani bought some good recommendation.
“I believe that [Mamdani] went there figuring out that he needed to make a buddy of Donald Trump because of this: he cannot get his agenda handed if he has troops marching down Fifth Avenue, or if he has to cope with extra ICE brokers,” CBS Information New York’s political reporter Marcia Kramer mentioned. “He cannot do his finances if he will have an enormous chunk in it attributable to a lack of federal funds. So he knew he needed to make him his buddy. And I believe he did that, and I believe that the recommendation most likely that made probably the most sense to him got here from Gov. Hochul. As a result of the governor had tried repeatedly to get together with the president, and I believe she gave him some recommendations on learn how to do it.”
Kramer added that each Mr. Trump and Mamdani “had loads using on this assembly.”
“[President Trump] would not want a battle with the mayor of New York Metropolis, who has the media highlight, not solely in New York Metropolis, however the worldwide media highlight. This isn’t one thing President Trump desires,” Kramer mentioned. “And moreover, let’s keep in mind this. That is his hometown. He could also be residing in Florida. That is his hometown. He has a whole lot of actual property pursuits right here. And if Mr. Mamdani doesn’t succeed as mayor, it will harm the president in his pocketbook.”
Mr. Trump mentioned he needed to be mayor himself
A shocking second was when Mr. Trump admitted that being mayor of New York is a “large deal.”
“I at all times mentioned, one of many issues I might’ve beloved to be sometime, is the mayor of New York Metropolis, ” Mr. Trump mentioned.
Kramer identified that the president is term-limited, however he may run for mayor in New York Metropolis on the finish of his time period.
