The meeting between New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and US President Donald Trump has drawn national attention because of the sharp ideological division between them and their long history of public hostility. Trump has previously called Mamdani a “communist lunatic” and threatened to withhold federal funding from New York if he won. Now, in their first face-to-face meeting, both leaders are signalling a willingness to talk, marking a pivotal moment of potential cooperation despite deep political antagonism. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, campaigned on policies focused on affordability and expanded public services, while Trump promotes a conservative national agenda that prioritises stricter immigration enforcement, reduced federal spending and business-focused growth.

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