Just days after a cordial meeting in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani reiterated that he still considers Trump a fascist and a danger to democracy, reports Baltimore Chronicle links to Reuters.
Speaking to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mamdani said, “And that’s something that I’ve said in the past. I say it today,” when asked if he believed Trump was a fascist. He emphasized that their discussion was candid, explaining, “We were not shy about the places of disagreement, about the politics that has brought us to this moment.”
Mamdani stressed that his presence in the Oval Office was intended to prioritize New Yorkers’ needs rather than to score political points. “Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe. 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.
He added that the meeting aimed to demonstrate that even with fundamental disagreements, officials could maintain a productive working relationship. “I thought again and again about what it would mean for New Yorkers if we could establish a productive relationship that would focus on the issues that those New Yorkers stay up late at night thinking about,” Mamdani explained.
Following the roughly 25-minute closed-door session on Friday, Trump and Mamdani appeared friendly and shook hands during a news conference, both acknowledging areas of agreement. This marked a sharp contrast to previous months of verbal confrontations, including Trump threatening to withhold federal funding and Mamdani criticizing ICE operations.
When a reporter asked if Mamdani still considered Trump a fascist during Friday’s briefing, Trump intervened with a lighthearted comment, saying, “That’s OK, you can just say ‘Yes.’ It’s easier. It’s easier than explaining it.”
Mamdani later described the meeting as productive, noting that discussions focused on affordability and public safety. While he did not claim that Trump pledged not to send federal forces to New York City, Trump had previously remarked that “other places need it more.” Mamdani affirmed that the city’s plans for public safety and affordability would rely on the NYPD.
Earlier we wrote that Trump and Mamdani Vow Cooperation on NYC Affordability and Safety After Oval Office Talks.
