Trump praises leftist Mamdani after meeting in New York
U.S. President Donald Trump and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani met to discuss immigration enforcement and a major housing project. Despite their ideological differences and past public criticism, the two leaders maintained a cooperative tone during their third meeting.
Why it matters
The meeting illustrates a pragmatic, albeit unusual, political alliance between a Republican President and a leftist Mayor on specific urban policy issues.
U.S. President Donald Trump heaped praise Monday (September 21, 2026) on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani as the pair set aside their political differences to discuss immigration enforcement and a multi-billion dollar housing project.
Mr. Trump, a Republican, heavily criticised Mr. Mamdani before he took office in January — calling him "my little communist" and a "total nut job" — but the two men have since struck a surprisingly warm relationship.
"Hopefully, you're going to be a great [mayor]. I'll be able to say you're going to be a great one, and you're off to a start," Mr. Trump told Mr. Mamdani at a news conference.
Their closed-door talks in Manhattan, which lasted around an hour, marked the pair's third public meeting since Mr. Mamdani swept the mayoral election last year.
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