Mamdani still believes Trump a ‘fascist’ after White House meeting
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New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Sunday that he still believes President Donald Trump is a “fascist,” following their high-profile meeting at the White House on Friday.
“This is something I’ve said in the past and I’m saying it today,” he told NBC host Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.”
Welker pressed the self-proclaimed democratic socialist about a reported incident in the Oval Office, during which Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich asked him if he still believed President Trump was a “fascist.”
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US President Donald Trump met with New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (left) at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC on November 21. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
Mamdani started to answer, but before she could finish, Trump intervened and said, “No problem,” and caressed Mamdani’s arm.
“You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining. That’s okay with me,” Trump added.
On Sunday, Welker also pressed Mamdani on whether he still believes the president is a “threat to democracy” or a “tyrant.”
Mamdani responded, “I continue to believe everything I said in the past.”
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Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks at his election night party on November 4 in Brooklyn, New York. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“And I think what’s important in our politics is that we don’t shy away from places where we disagree, but we understand what brings us to the table,” he added.
Mamdani said she “appreciated” her conversation with Trump because he was open to focusing on the interests of New Yorkers and the affordability crisis, while also being honest about areas of disagreement.
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Trump and Mamdani met at the White House on Friday to discuss pressing issues such as affordability, housing and public safety, following Mamdani’s decisive victory in this month’s New York City mayoral race.
On public safety, Mamdani said he plans to keep about 35,000 NYPD officers on duty and shift more non-emergency calls from police to mental health response teams; He reiterated this note on Sunday.
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Fox News’ Hanna Panreck, Jasmine Baher and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
