A recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and New York’s Mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, has been in the news for unexpected reasons. Political rivals Mamdani and Trump had a customary meeting in the Oval Office on Friday (21st November). Quite contrary to popular expectations, both leaders displayed surprising warmth and cordiality toward each other after the meeting.
However, one particular moment from the media interaction post the much-publicised meeting, which stood out, was when President Donald Trump chose to defend Mamdani, who was confronted by the media about his past remarks against Trump.
Trump jokingly dismisses Mamdani’s ‘fascist’ label for him
Notably, during his election campaign, Mamdani had called Trump “despot” and a “fascist”, a favourite jibe of the Left politicians and the Leftist media against all conservative leaders. In the run-up to the New York mayoral election campaign, both Mamdani and Trump had traded political barbs against each other.
When the two leaders were responding to media queries after their first meeting after Mamdani’s victory, a media person brought up Mamdani’s past remarks against Trump and asked him whether he still stood by his statement wherein he labelled Trump as a fascist. As Mamdani began to answer the question, he was cut off by Donald Trump, who dismissed the question with a light-hearted response, thus defending Mamdani from a question he might have found difficult to answer. “That’s ok, you can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining,” Trump said, interjecting Mamdani and tapping lightly at his arm.
#WATCH | "… That's okay, you can just say it. It's easier than explaining. I don't mind," says US President Donald Trump, interrupting New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, while he was trying to answer a question on if he thinks President Trump is a fascist.
— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2025
Source: The White… pic.twitter.com/dRzh70z2hK
The unfascist-like manner in which Trump neutralised the question with his humorous reply and brought the focus back to the positive aspects of the meeting came as a surprise. In contrast to his outspoken attitude towards his political rivals, Trump displayed political flexibility and adaptability in his response to the question. He prevented the media interaction from straying into a political hit job and shifted the conversation to his discussion with Mamdani and their shared common grounds.
Trump’s response also indicated what he thinks of the Left’s verbal attacks against him. Leftist media outlets and leaders have been using heavy terms like ‘Fascist’, ‘Nazi’, and ‘Dictator’ without any factual basis, and often for the slightest of disagreements over opinions. Conservative leaders all over the world, like Trump, Modi, Georgia Meloni and others, are usually at the receiving end of unfriendly terms thrown by the Leftist press. Trump’s jovial dismissal has displayed how these terms are worthless and not to be taken seriously.
Trump praises Mamdani, says that he would be a great mayor
Exhibiting political maturity, Trump kept his political differences with Mamdani aside and praised his vision for New York. Calling Mamdani a “rational person”, Trump said that he hoped that Mamdani would be a “really great mayor” and that he was “confident that he can do a very good job”. “I met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again,” Trump said, praising Mamdani. “I think you’re going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor. The better he does, the happier I am. I will say there’s no difference in party, there’s no difference in anything, and we’re going to be helping him to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York,” Trump added. The US President said that he agreed on a lot of things with Mamdani, such as affordable housing and public safety. “We have one thing in common, we want this city of ours that we love to do very well,” Trump stated, adding that he would offer all support and work in collaboration with Mamdani in the execution of his vision for the city.
