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During an Oval Office media spray Friday, Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich pressed New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on whether he still believes President Donald Trump is a “fascist.”
Mamdani began to answer, but before he could finish, Trump cut in from behind the Resolute Desk.
“That’s OK,” Trump said, before patting Mamdani’s arm. “You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.”
The full 10-minute exchange capped a wide-ranging meting focused on affordability, housing and public safety and brimmed with tension between Mamdani’s past rhetoric and the political reality of governing alongside the Trump White House.
TRUMP, MAMDANI SET TO FACE OFF IN FIRST OVAL OFFICE MEETING — WHAT’S ON THE TABLE
President Donald Trump met with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani for the first time Friday in the Oval Office. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Heinrich had earlier asked Mamdani whether he stood by his previous comments describing Trump’s agenda as “fascist” and “despotic.”
Mamdani did not give a direct answer, saying only that he intended to work with the president “where we agree” to help the city’s 8.5 million residents.
Trump jumped in before he finished, adding with a laugh, “I’ve been called much worse than a despot. Maybe he’ll change his mind.”
TRUMP PREDICTS ‘CIVIL’ MEETING WITH MAMDANI DESPITE PAST COMMENTS ABOUT EACH OTHER
President Donald Trump meets with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office of the White House Nov. 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
The moment came after both men publicly emphasized areas of potential cooperation. Trump pointed to falling energy prices and said he wanted utilities, including Con Edison, to lower rates. Mamdani outlined a plan centered on housing, rent, groceries and utilities, saying New Yorkers are facing a “cost-of-living crisis that threatens to push families out of the city.”
Heinrich also pressed Trump on Ukraine, asking how his proposed peace plan would work if President Zelenskyy rejected it.
Trump replied that Ukraine would “have to like it or keep fighting” and repeated his claim that U.S. support would depend on securing an agreement. He also asserted that casualty numbers in the conflict were “far higher” than publicly reported.
DAVID MARCUS: MR. MAMDANI GOES TO WASHINGTON BETWEEN ROCK AND HARD PLACE
President Donald Trump meets with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office of the White House Nov. 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
The spray also touched on public safety, with Mamdani saying he intends to maintain roughly 35,000 NYPD officers while shifting more non-urgent calls away from police and toward mental health responders.
Trump said both men shared a goal of removing “very bad people” and making the city safer, adding, “We want New York to thrive again.”
The exchange with Heinrich is likely to fuel further scrutiny over how Mamdani balances far-left progressive messaging with the realistic demands of governing. The mayor-elect has proudly identified as a democratic socialist but said he intends to “meet the moment” in partnership with the Trump administration when possible.
Trump, who joked that the spray attracted “more reporters than usual,” said he was open to meeting again. Mamdani added the same, saying his goal was to find points of agreement that could “deliver for New Yorkers right away.”
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The President posted to Truth Social Friday night, documenting the visit with several photos of the two men with the caption, “It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!”
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
