It didn’t take long for New York’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, to spot the political play at hand, pick up the tactics, and ride a path to victory in navigating a volatile and punitive President Donald Trump.
During an unannounced White House visit in the Oval Office on Thursday, Mamdani arrived prepared to pitch the president on backing a New York City investment aimed at alleviating the city’s rising housing crisis, and he did not come empty-handed.
He fed Trump’s well-known, expansive ego with something the president has always coveted: front-page news coverage, specifically the kind that flatters him.
Mamdani walked into 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue armed with mock front pages from the New York Daily News, one bearing the headline, “Trump to City: Let’s Build,” and another real photo from 1975 stating “Ford to City: Drop Dead,” illustrating Gerald Ford’s denial of a request for funds.
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According to reporting, Trump, basking in the glow of the headline’s apparent praise, loved it, setting the stage for a productive meeting and perhaps a final win over critics who describe him as cruel and hateful.
Mamdani has said he went to the White House on Thursday to discuss funding for a real estate project in New York City that would add 12,000 new homes.
“The president was interested in the idea, and I look forward to the ensuing conversations about how to build more housing in a city that doesn’t have enough of it,” the mayor stated at an event the following day, Friday, Feb. 27.
Social media quickly highlighted Mamdani’s maneuvering.
“What Zohran Mamdani did at the White House today was a masterclass in disarming a narcissist. 10/10, no notes,” one Threads user proclaimed.
“I swear he’s a once-in-a-lifetime politician. He out-charmed the narcissist,” another Threads user remarked.
“Played the old man like a fiddle,” another post added.
“Check Mate. He’s going to beat the Traitor in Chief at his own game. It’s a beautiful thing!!” another Threads user chimed in.
Mamdani even pushed a step further at the meeting, ABC 7 NY reported, urging Trump to release a Columbia University student detained by ICE on Thursday morning, Feb. 26, along with four other students.
The president complied by releasing the Columbia student and even phoning Mamdani to relay the news of the student’s release.
Yet their rapport wasn’t always so harmonious.
Trump spent much of last year’s hard-fought New York City mayoral campaign attacking the Democratic socialist, labeling him a “communist” and more, a stance Mamdani countered by labeling Trump a “despot” at one point.
In the run-up to their initial meeting in November, speculation swirled about how Trump and Mamdani’s first encounter would unfold, yet they emerged from the White House with an unexpectedly cordial impression.
Since then, Mamdani has steered clear of publicly disparaging Trump, and Trump, for his part, has not pursued Mamdani as aggressively as he has with many other Democrats.
In fact, it appears Mamdani absorbed the practical “Art of the Deal” and even demonstrated to Trump how it’s done.
