From shocked to bemused to barely surprised — New Yorkers voiced a gamut of reactions after watching President Donald Trump’s unexpected embrace of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office Friday.

But the biggest question for many was: How is this going to play in 2026?

Republicans nationwide have been planning to use Mamdani as the poster boy for liberalism run amok, but on Friday Trump told reporters he was confident that Mamdani “can do a good job. I think he is going to surprise some conservative people actually.”

Perhaps nowhere did the unexpected praise land more awkwardly than in the New York governor’s race where Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik has been relentlessly trying to tie Gov. Kathy Hochul to Mamdani since Hochul endorsed the incoming mayor in September.

Immediately

See Full Page