New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and US President Donald Trump held their first in-person meeting at the White House on Friday, and while the exchange was surprisingly polite, Mamdani didn’t back down from past criticism.
Speaking on NBC News’ Meet the Press on Saturday, the New York City mayor-elect said he still believes President Donald Trump is a “fascist” and a “despot,” even after both men called their Friday discussion “productive”.
The meeting came after a bitter campaign season defined by personal attacks from both sides. But at the White House on Friday, the US President struck a warmer tone, telling reporters he would be “cheering” for the incoming mayor. Mamdani, in turn, said the talks were positive and centred on affordability issues.
Mamdani confirmed he still stands by the blunt remarks he used for Trump during the campaign. “Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe,” Mamdani said. “And that’s the thing that I think is important in our politics, is that we don’t shy away from where we have disagreements, but we understand what it is that brings us to that table, because I’m not coming into the Oval Office to make a point or make a stand. I’m coming in there to deliver for New Yorkers,” he said on NBC News.
