Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani had their first in-person encounter at the White House, but the meeting took an unexpected turn.
Although Trump and Mamdani have been exchanging criticisms over recent weeks, their face-to-face meeting at the White House was surprisingly amicable.
Prior to Mamdani’s upcoming tenure as mayor of New York, Trump publicly questioned his suitability for the position.
Trump informed his followers on Friday about the meeting via a Truth Social post, referring to Mamdani as a ‘communist coming to the White House.’
Mamdani had recently criticized Trump as well, labeling him a ‘despot’ during his victory speech earlier in the month.
However, according to reporters, the tension between the two seemed to have diminished, as they interacted in a friendly manner.
Instead of exchanging subtle jabs, both Trump and Mamdani expressed mutual admiration.
Trump told the media he believes Mamdani will make a ‘really great mayor’ and later expressed his confidence in Mamdani’s ability to perform well in the role.
This surprising turn of events caught social media users off guard, with many expressing their astonishment at the newfound rapport between the two.
One person commented: “The Trump and Mandani post meeting press conference was absolutely fascinating. The body language, the answers and what wasn’t said!”
“Mamdani head and shoulders above his years tactically. Trump literally has spent the whole presser fluffing his ego. Just incredible.”
Another remarked: “Trump clearly liking Mandani reminds me of how he seemed to have a soft spot for Bernie during election season. He def never went for the jugular. Very strange phenomenon.”
Some speculate that the friendly atmosphere is due to both individuals focusing on addressing the affordability crisis, as their political success is closely linked to this issue.