From ‘communist lunatic’ to ‘rational person': Donald Trump takes a U

In one of the most dramatic political reversals of the year, President Donald Trump struck an unexpectedly warm tone toward New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani during a meeting at the White House — just weeks after denouncing him as a “communist lunatic” and threatening to cut off federal funding if he won the election. The shift has surprised everyone who had expected a tense encounter, given the bitter exchanges of the campaign. Instead, Trump described Mamdani as a “rational person”, praised his vision for New York and signalled a willingness to work closely with him on affordability and public safety — a remarkable U-turn from the hostility he projected throughout the mayoral race. The highly anticipated meeting delivered none of the fireworks that had been predicted. Instead