In their first face-to-face meeting since Zohran Mamdani won the NYC mayoral race, President Donald Trump and the mayor-elect put aside their adversarial roles, exchanging compliments and vowing to work together to make New York City "greater than ever before."

The Republican president and New York City’s next leader were warm and friendly, speaking repeatedly of their shared goals to help Trump's hometown rather than their combustible differences.

Trump, who had in the past called Mamdani a "100% Communist Lunatic" and a “total nut job," spoke openly of how impressed he was with the man who had called his administration “authoritarian.”

"I met with a man who's a very rational person. I met a man that really wants to see New York be great again," Trump said.

"And if he can, we'll be out there cheering. I'll be cheering for him," the president added.

The meeting offered political opportunities for both men. For Mamdani, a sit-down offered the state lawmaker — who until recently was relatively unknown — the chance to go head-to-head with the most powerful person in the world.

For Trump, it was a high-profile chance to talk about affordability at a time when he’s under increasing political pressure to show he’s addressing voter concerns about the cost of living.

Until now, the men have been political foils who galvanized their supporters by taking on each other, and it's unclear how those backers will react to their genial get-together and complimentary words.

Mamdani and Trump said they discussed housing affordability and the cost of groceries and utilities, as Mamdani successfully used frustration over inflation to get elected, just as the president did in the 2024 election.

The president brushed aside Mamdani's criticisms of him over his administration's deportation raids and claims that Trump was behaving like a despot. Instead, Trump said the responsibility of holding an executive position in the government causes a person to change, saying that had been the case for him.

He seemed at times even protective of Mamdani, jumping in on his behalf at several points. For example, when reporters asked Mamdani to clarify his past statements indicating that he thought the president was acting like a fascist, Trump said, “I’ve been called much worse than a despot.”

When a reporter asked if Mamdani stood by his comments that Trump is a fascist, Trump interjected before the mayor-elect could fully answer the question.

“That’s OK. You can just say yes. OK?” Trump said. “It’s easier. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.”