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New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Sunday reaffirmed his belief that President Donald Trump is a “fascist” and a “despot,” even as he described their first in-person meeting at the White House as “productive” and an “opportunity” to address the city’s affordability crisis.
The comments — delivered during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press — underscored the unusually combustible dynamic between the mayor-elect and the president, whose months of public taunts gave way to a markedly friendlier tone when the two met Friday.
“I’ve said it before and I still believe it,” Mamdani told moderator Kristen Welker when asked whether he stood by his campaign-trail label of Trump as a fascist. “Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe.”
Trump, who had been present the previous day when the mayor-elect was asked a similar question, appeared to brush aside the rhetoric. “That’s OK, you can just say it,” he joked to Mamdani. “It’s easier than explaining it.”
A cordial meeting despite months of hostility
Mamdani, a democratic socialist who will become the city’s first mayor from that movement, said he deliberately approached the White House meeting with a focus on substantive outcomes rather than political theater.
“I thought again and again about what it would mean for New Yorkers if we could establish a productive relationship,” he said. “New Yorkers aren’t staying up late thinking about political insults. They’re thinking about paying rent and affording groceries.”
Trump echoed that sentiment on Friday, telling reporters he would be “cheering” for Mamdani despite having called him a “communist lunatic” during the campaign and threatening to cut off federal funding if voters elected him. On the eve of the election, Trump endorsed Mamdani’s rival, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Policy tensions remain unresolved
The two leaders also discussed Trump’s repeated threats to deploy National Guard troops to major Democratic-led cities, including New York. Mamdani declined to say whether Trump agreed to stand down, but stressed his confidence in local law enforcement.
“We have the NYPD, and I trust them to deliver public safety,” he said.
Trump, speaking separately to reporters Saturday, left the door open: “If they need it … I would do it.”
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, speaking on Sunday, voiced skepticism about Mamdani’s affordability proposals. “None of those really jump off the page for me as really strong ideas,” he said, though he added that “positive work” was still possible if both sides prioritize New Yorkers’ needs.
Tax plans, Democratic rifts complicate outlook
To fund his agenda, Mamdani has pledged to seek tax increases on the city’s highest earners — a plan that would require approval from Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers in Albany. The mayor-elect offered no clarity on whether Hochul supports the effort.
“I think raising taxes makes the most sense,” Mamdani said. “If there are alternatives that raise the same amount of money, I’m open.”
Mamdani also acknowledged tensions with national Democratic leaders, many of whom were slow to back his candidacy. But he said he wants House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to become House speaker if Democrats retake the majority in 2026.
The mayor-elect said he also spoke with former President Barack Obama after his victory. Their conversation, he said, focused on “the importance of inspiring hope, sustaining it, and delivering on it.”
