Today’s White House meeting between New York’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, and President Donald Trump suggests that maybe, just maybe, the U.S. government won’t go to war with its largest city. The event was much anticipated as blood sport, a showdown between a young communist and an old despot, to use their favored insults for each other.

Instead, the two men put on such a show of good manners that at times I had to laugh out loud at the stagecraft. After a closed-door meeting, Trump and Mamdani summoned the press, and there was Uncle Donnie seated behind his desk in the Oval Office, beaming as his favorite nephew, Zohran, stood by his right shoulder looking dutiful.

“We agree on a lot more than I would have thought,” Trump said, peering at Mamdani. “I feel very confident that he can d

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