Trump Predicts ‘Civil’ Sit-Down With Mamdani, Insists They Want ‘The Same Thing’

President Donald Trump said that he expects to have a “civil” conversation with Democratic socialist and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani during a meeting at the White House on Friday afternoon. 

Trump acknowledged during a Friday interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade that the two have radically different political positions, but said they both want New York City to be “strong.”

“He’s a little bit different. I give him a lot of credit for the run. He did a successful run, and we all know that runs are not easy. But I think we’ll get along fine. Look, we’re looking for the same thing. We want to make New York strong, and, you know, there’s such a different philosophy, but I’ll let you know. 
I’ll let you know over the next year.”

Trump was asked about Mamdani’s attack on him during his election night victory speech. Mamdani called Trump a “despot” and said his election showed a path for the country to fight back against the president. He also called for Trump to “turn the volume up.” 

“If we embrace this brave new course, rather than fleeing from it, we can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves,” he said. “After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump, how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.”

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“I was hitting him a little hard too, in all fairness,” Trump replied. Trump has called Mamdani a communist and suggested that he might cut federal funding for NYC if Mamdani were elected. 

“He had some interesting opponents. But he ran a good race. I don’t know exactly what he means by turn the volume up,” adding that he needs to be “careful” when he says that. 

Trump first announced Thursday that Mamdani had asked to meet and would be coming to the White House. 

“He was very nice in calling, as you know, and we’re going to have a meeting,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be quite civil. We’ll find out.”