1 hour ago
Last Updated:November 23, 2025, 23:29 IST
The New York City’s mayor-elect said he continues to believe that Donald Trump is “fascist” and a “despot” but believes he can work with him despite differences.
US President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani react as they speak to members of the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US.
New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Sunday said he still believes US President Donald Trump is a “fascist" and a “despot", but maintained that the two can work together on issues that matter to New Yorkers.
“That’s something that I’ve said in the past. I say it today," Mamdani told NBC’s “Meet the Press" when asked whether he continues to view the President as “fascist".
NBC’s Kristen Welker pressed further, noting: “You’ve called him a despot. Do you still believe President Trump is a threat to democracy?"
To this, the Indian American mayor-elect replied: “Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe. I think working for the people of New York City demands that you work with everyone and anyone, and that you always look to find those areas of agreement while not overlooking the places of disagreement."
Welker: Do you think that President Trump is a fascist?Mamdani: That’s something that I’ve said in the past. I say it today.
Welker: You’ve called him a despot. Do you still believe President Trump is a threat to the democracy?
Mamdani: Everything that I’ve said in the past,… pic.twitter.com/Qa7H5ej9er
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 23, 2025
The warm meeting between Mamdani and Trump — despite Trump previously calling him a “communist" and endorsing a Republican candidate who labelled the NYC mayor-elect a “jihadist" — raised eyebrows across the political spectrum.
Both leaders, however, agreed that New York City must become more affordable.
“What I appreciated about the conversation that I had with the president was that we were not shy about the places of disagreement," he added. “We also wanted to focus on what it could look like to deliver on a shared analysis of an affordable crisis for New Yorkers."
During their meeting in the Oval Office, Mamdani was asked if he still believed if Trump is a fascist. The US President, sat nearby, interjected and said: “That’s okay. You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind."
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has covered se...Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has covered se...
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Location :
New York, United States of America (USA)
First Published:
November 23, 2025, 23:16 IST
News world NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Still Believes Trump Is ‘Fascist’ But Open To Finding Common Ground
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