Zohran Mamdani Knew How to Handle Donald Trump
Donald Trump loves to pick “winners” and “losers.” And right now, in the eyes of the American people, Trump can sense that he is a loser and Zohran Mamdani is a winner.
The shrewd political instincts that were key to Zohran Mamdani’s New York mayoral win were on display in Donald Trump’s White House yesterday. (Angela Weiss, Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)
Why was Donald Trump so solicitous toward New York’s democratic socialist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani when he visited the White House on Friday? Throughout his mayoral campaign, Trump attacked Mamdani as a Communist who would destroy New York. He even gave Andrew Cuomo a last-minute endorsement.
Mamdani then went to the White House and showed respect for the man he had excoriated during his campaign. Mamdani showed remarkable self-discipline and smiled during the entire meeting. It was a charm offensive.
The two men met in private before welcoming the reporters and TV cameras for a joint press conference. Trump quickly realized that Mamdani was not going to engage in a fight. Mamdani was there to discuss policy and federal help. Trump couldn’t intimidate or fluster Mamdani, who kept his cool and refused to play by Trump’s rules. Trump realized that Mamdani had his number and quickly pivoted, flattering the thirty-four-year-old mayor-elect.
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