E-Paper
Mamdani asked if he thinks Trump is a fascist; POTUS gives hilarious reply - watch
New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met with President Donald Trump at the White House on November 21, after which they interacted with the press.
President Donald Trump met with New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House on November 21. After the meeting, which both called ‘productive’, the Republican and the Democrat answered press questions. One of the questions posed to Mamdani was whether he could affirm if he thought Trump was a fascist.
Before Mamdani got a chance to complete his reply, the president jumped in and appeared to laugh off the question. The reporter had asked Mamdani, “Are you affirming that you think that President Trump is a fascist?.”
Also Read | Trump-Mamdani meeting: POTUS gives first reaction after meeting NYC mayor-elect; 'we have one thing in common'
Mamdani was replying, ““I’ve spoken about—,” but Trump interrupted him. The President said, “That’s OK, you can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind,” and patted Mamdani on the arm. A video of the interaction was shared by Trump's Rapid Response 47 on X.
The President's remark drew a reaction from Vice President JD Vance as well. “POTUS has a lot of good moments but this is an all-timer,” he said, amid Fox News suggesting that the VP might be ‘jealous’ of the rapport between Mamdani and Trump at the meeting.
Mamdani on Trump and the ‘fascist agenda’
A New York Post reporter had asked Mamdani about some of his previous criticisms of the President. “Just days ago you referred to President Trump as a ‘despot’ who betrayed the country, you said you’d be his ‘worst nightmare,’ and accused him of having a fascist agenda. Are you planning to retract any of these remarks in order to improve your relationship?,” the reporter asked.
Mamdani replied, “I think both President Trump and I—we are very clear about our positions and our views. And what I really appreciate about the president is the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement—which there are many—and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers," as per The New Republic.
Mamdani and Trump appeared to send out a united message that they'd both work for the betterment of New York City.
