Trump ripped Mamdani as a ‘communist’ for months. After their latest meeting, he called him a mayor with ‘great potential’

Donald Trump addressed reporters Monday outside Gracie Mansion and spoke favorably about New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. According to Mediaite, the remarks were captured on a Spectrum News NY1 feed later carried by CNN. Trump was in the city for United Nations business scheduled the following day.

Mamdani said their conversation focused on “how we can make it easier to afford life in this great city that we call our home.” Trump called Gracie Mansion “a special place” and noted he had visited it during the terms of many past mayors.

He told Mamdani, “I’ve seen it with numerous different mayors. And I said some great ones and some not-so-great ones. So, hopefully you’re going to be a great one.”

Trump says Mamdani is ‘off to a start’ and has ‘great potential’ as mayor

Trump added, “I’ll be able to say, you’re going to be a great one, and you’re off to a start. So, I just want to thank the mayor for the invitation. I’m in New York to do the United Nations tomorrow. I have a lot of meetings right now today, very important meetings, with heads of different countries.”

“But this is like a little bit of old home week for me because so many things we’ve done, so many things from the beautiful home or house or building standing right behind me,” he continued. 

Asked by the press about the mayor, Trump said Mamdani had the “potential” to be a “great mayor.” 

He stated, “I certainly hope he will be a great mayor. You have to understand, I want what’s good for New York. I want what’s good for the country. So, if I had a choice of having him be a bad mayor or horrible mayor, I don’t want that. I want him to be a great mayor, and he’s certainly got potential, got great potential.”

For months, Trump has called Mamdani a “communist.” Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has called Trump a “fascist.” Their public feud has included sharp accusations from various political figures, such as when Hochul and Mamdani accused Trump of defunding the police. 

Trump recently labeled Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “terrible” for “laughing” at a 25th-anniversary ceremony for the 9/11 attacks. However, it has been claimed that the two were warmly greeting each other rather than laughing, contrary to descriptions from some MAGA pundits.

The pair had met earlier at the White House. Trump said then that Mamdani was “better looking in person.” The source described that session as a cozy meeting that surprised many in politics.

Trump thanked Mamdani for inviting him to the mansion and linked the stop to his own past in New York. Trump also weighed in on other New York matters, such as when he said Netanyahu would not be arrested. He said he wanted good outcomes for the city and the country and hoped the mayor would do well in office.