President Donald Trump and incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani set aside months of sharp public exchanges Friday, greeting each other with smiles and pledging to cooperate on crime and affordability in a surprisingly warm White House meeting.

The two men, political opposites by ideology and generation, found common ground after a private conversation in the Oval Office. Trump, 79, sat at his desk as Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist and state lawmaker, stood beside him, the pair exchanging compliments despite Trump’s recent attacks branding Mamdani an antisemitic communist.

“We agree on a lot more than I would have thought,” Trump said as reporters entered the room. “We have one thing in common: We want this city of ours that we love to do very well.”

The encounter far exceeded Trump’s prediction earlier in the day that the meeting would be “quite cordial,” offering instead a tone that suggested the start of an unexpected political partnership.

Mamdani said he valued the president’s decision to focus on shared priorities. “What I really appreciate about the president is that the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers,” he said.

Focus on affordability

A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows just 26% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the cost of living. Mamdani campaigned on rent freezes and free bus service, and childcare, a platform that powered a wave of Democratic wins nationwide earlier this month.

Trump brightened when Mamdani pushed for more housing in New York, a city where Trump built his brand. The president also welcomed news that some Trump voters had backed Mamdani. Mamdani said those voters pointed to the cost of living as a driving concern.

Trump, who has said he is focusing more on affordability and inflation, responded, “Some of his ideas are the same ideas I have. The better he does, the happier I am.”

As Mamdani surged toward victory on Nov. 4, Trump threatened to cut federal funding to New York City. Mamdani has regularly criticized Trump’s vow to expand federal immigration enforcement in a city where nearly four in 10 residents were born abroad.

Trump had labeled Mamdani a “radical left lunatic,” a communist, and a “Jew hater.” Mamdani, a backer of Nordic-style democratic socialism, has condemned antisemitism and received endorsements from Jewish officials. He is also hiring Jewish staff, including incoming Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

Yet within an hour of meeting, Trump repeatedly stepped in to shield Mamdani from pointed questions. The two laughed when reporters reminded them of their past comments.

“I’ve been called much worse than a despot,” Trump said, smiling. “So it’s not that insulting, but I think he’ll change his mind after we get to working together.”

‘Just say yes’

Asked if he still believed Trump was a fascist, Mamdani paused. Trump jumped in: “That’s OK, you can just say ‘yes.’ It’s easier than explaining it,” he said, patting Mamdani’s arm.

Trump also defended Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and will become New York’s first Muslim mayor, from Islamophobic framing. A reporter asked if he believed he had “a jihadist” beside him.

“No, I don’t,” Trump said. “I met with a man who’s a very rational person.”

The warm tone unsettled some political figures. A few Republicans said they remained wary of Mamdani despite Trump’s praise.

“What the heck just happened?” Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, wrote online, sharing a clip from the meeting.

Trump had repeatedly told New Yorkers not to vote for Mamdani, saying his election would spell disaster for a city conservatives often portray as plagued by crime, though it remains one of the nation’s safest big cities. After his first presidential term, Trump shifted his residence from Manhattan to Florida.

Asked Friday whether he would return to New York under Mamdani’s leadership, Trump said he would consider it. “Yeah, I would,” he said. “Especially after the meeting.”