After months of attacks, Trump and Mamadou Mamdani surprised everyone by displaying an unexpected closeness during a highly publicized meeting.

Everyone expected an explosive meeting after months of verbal attacks during the New York mayoral campaign. But in the end, Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani delivered a demonstration of appeasement in the Oval Office on Friday. The scene even had something surreal about it: the president, who had once nicknamed Zohran Mamdani "my little communist," and the future mayor of New York, who had called him a "fascist" in his victory speech, appeared side by side, smiling, even exchanging a few friendly pats on the elbow. "I think you're going to have, I hope, a great mayor," Donald Trump even said. He promised to "help realize everyone's dream of having a strong and very safe New York."

Zohran Mamdani, who will take office on January 1st, hailed the meeting as "very productive." He indicated that the discussion did not focus on their numerous points of disagreement, but rather on their shared goal of "serving New Yorkers," particularly on combating the high cost of living, a central theme of his campaign. "I will work with him on any program that benefits New Yorkers. If a program harms New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say so," the Democrat added.

"People have said things far worse than 'despot' about me."

The exchange also provided an opportunity to address comments made by Zohran Mamdani, who had called Donald Trump a "despot." The president, usually quick to hold a grudge, chose to take it lightly. "I've been called much worse than a despot. So it's not that insulting." He also expressed his satisfaction with the significant media interest surrounding the meeting, marked by an unusually large number of journalists at the White House.

The election of Zohran Mamdani was one of the major political events of the year. Winning more than 50% of the vote against Andrew Cuomo, who was backed by Donald Trump, he benefited from a record turnout of over two million voters, the highest since 1969. The American president noted that "many" of his own voters would have voted for the Democrat, to which Zohran Mamdani replied, "One in ten," before Donald Trump concluded, "That's fine with me."

High-ranking, seasoned officials surrounding Mamdani

While some are concerned about the inexperience of the mayor-elect—his only elected position being as a district representative in the New York State Assembly—Zohran Mamdani has begun structuring his team. He has chosen Dean Fuleihan, 74, a seasoned local political figure, as his right-hand man and confirmed Jessica Tisch as police chief. Known for her role in reducing crime, she also maintains friendly ties with Ivanka Trump, which the president has called a "good sign."

For Grant Reeher, a professor of politics at Syracuse University, the retention of certain figures from the outgoing administration reflects a desire for stability. "Although he hasn't abandoned any of his political objectives, the fact that he's keeping certain senior officials seems to indicate that his revolution will have safeguards," he explains. It's a cautious approach, given that the new mayor can't afford a complete break with the White House, as Donald Trump has previously threatened to cut federal funding to New York or deploy the National Guard there. Will this on-camera romance last? We'll find out on January 1st.