While Gothamist’s characterization of Friday’s White House meeting between President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as “a surprising bromance” was likely an overstretch, the far-right US leader did offer copious praise for the democratic socialist during their amiable encounter.

Asked by a reporter if he would feel comfortable living in New York City under Mamdani, Trump—with Mamdani standing beside him in the Oval Office—replied: “Yeah, I would. I really would. Especially after the meeting."

“We agree on a lot more than I thought," the president continued. "I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help him do a great job.”

Asked by another reporter if he was standing next to a “jihadist"—as Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) called Mamdani over his support for Palestinian liberation and opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza—Trump said, “No… I met with a man who is a very rational person."

“I met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again,” the president added. "I think you’re going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor. The better he does, the happier I am. And we’re going to be helping him to make everybody’s dream come true. Having a strong and very safe New York.”

Comparing Mamdani to another prominent democratic socialist, who represents Vermont in the US Senate, Trump added that “Bernie Sanders and I agreed on much more than people thought.”

The pair reportedly discussed contentious issues including Trump’s anti-immigrant crackdown and federal invasion of several US cities including Los Angeles; Washington, DC; Portland, Maine; Chicago; and Memphis.

However, they also discussed common-ground issues including the affordability crisis, which has hit New Yorkers particularly hard.

“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 told reporters.

Friday’s friendly meeting was a stark departure from previous acrimonious exchanges between Trump and Mamdani. The president has called Mamdani a “communist lunatic” and a “total nut job,” and repeatedly threatened to cut off federal funding to the nation’s largest city if the leftist was elected. Trump also threatened to arrest Mamdani after the then-mayoral candidate said he would refuse to cooperate with his administration’s mass deportation campaign.

Asked Friday about calling Mamdani a communist, Trump said: “He’s got views that are a little out there, but who knows. I mean, we’re going to see what works. He’s going to change, also. I changed a lot."

“I feel very confident that he can do a very good job,” the president added. "I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually.”

For his part, Mamdani has called Trump a “despot” and the embodiment of New York City’s problems, decried his “authoritarian” administration, and called himself the president’s “worst nightmare.” He also called Trump a “fascist” on numerous occasions.

"I’ve been called much worse than a despot,” Trump quipped Friday.

After their meeting, a reporter asked Mamdani if he still thought Trump is a fascist. The president interrupted as Mamdani began to respond, patting him on the arm and saying, “That’s OK, you can just say yes."

Mamdani did not compliment Trump nearly as much as the president lavished praise upon him. He did say that their meeting was “cordial and productive,” and that he anticipated partnering with Trump to “improve life in New York,” highlighting their agreement on issues like housing affordability, food and energy costs, and reducing the cost of living—issues which he said motivated voters to support both men.

Observers expressed surprise over the affable meeting, with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)—one of Trump’s staunchest congressional critics—asking on social media, “What the heck just happened?”

Some social media users noted that Trump offered Mamdani a more ringing endorsement than even some prominent Democrats, with one Bluesky account posting, “Donald Trump endorsed Zohran Mamdani before Chuck Schumer,” a reference to the Senate majority leader—who never endorsed his party’s nominee to lead the city they both call home.

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