Trump praises leftist Mamdani after meeting in New York

President Donald Trump praised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday after the two men set aside their political differences to discuss immigration enforcement and a multi-billion dollar housing project.

The closed-door meeting in Manhattan came as Trump visited his hometown ahead of the United Nations General Assembly.

Why did Trump praise Mamdani after their meeting?

Trump praised Mamdani despite months of hostility before the mayor took office in January, when Trump called him "my little communist" and a "total nut job."

Following their talks, Trump said he hoped Mamdani would be "a great mayor" and told him he was "off to a start." The shift reflects a working relationship the pair have built since Mamdani's mayoral win.

What did Trump and Mamdani discuss at the meeting?

Their talks lasted around an hour and marked the pair's third public meeting since Mamdani's election victory last year. Mamdani said he raised "very strong opinions" about keeping New Yorkers safe, in response to Trump's move to end Temporary Protected Status for thousands of immigrants. The two also discussed a 12,000-home building proposal first raised in February, which would need an estimated $21 billion in federal funding.

Mamdani said he intended to keep working with Trump, even while acknowledging "many disagreements" between them. He described their relationship as one built on continued dialogue rather than shared politics. "We've both spoken about very different approaches, very different beliefs, and I will continue to have conversations with the president, and frankly with anyone who can deliver relief to the people of this city," Mamdani said.

How did the media ban affect coverage of Trump's visit?

Trump's visit came as major US television networks largely avoided covering the president, in protest at his decision to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. Mamdani said he told Trump that all members of the press would be welcome at their joint press conference outside the mayor's official residence. "That is something that I believe in, is everyone, no matter the opinion or the critique, that we engage," he told reporters.

Trump dismissed suggestions that the media bans were meant to distract from criticism over the war in Iran. He said the press had previously threatened to boycott him without following through, so he was not concerned this time. "It's interesting because they (the media) said they were going to boycott me, but they never boycott me, so I wasn't very worried about that," he said.