Trump and Mamdani's unlikely friendship endures in New York

President Donald Trump met with New York City's socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion on Monday, praising him as a future "great mayor" in their third meeting, a rare presidential visit to the mayor's residence not seen since 1981. Despite their political opposition—Mamdani has called Trump a "fascist" while Trump's allies label the mayor a "crazy communist"—the two maintain a cordial personal rapport. Mamdani focused on securing federal support for a major Queens construction project, while also raising concerns about Haitian immigrants facing deportation. The meeting precedes Trump's scheduled talks with world leaders at the UN General Assembly this week, including Macron, Burnham, Zelenskyy, and Xi Jinping. Mamdani defended his friendly approach as prioritizing benefits for New Yorkers over partisan conflict.