Trump and Mamdani meet Friday in the Oval Office. They’ve cast each other as adversaries for months

In a political drama set to unfold Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump and New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will meet face-to-face at the White House, bringing together two figures who have spent months portraying each other as adversaries.

Trump has repeatedly labeled Mamdani, who takes office in January, as a “100% Communist Lunatic” and a “total nut job,” while Mamdani has described himself as “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare” and characterized the president’s administration as “authoritarian.”

The 3 p.m. EST meeting marks their first direct encounter, setting the stage for what could be a tense discussion between the Republican president and the democratic socialist mayor-elect. Despite their public antagonism, both have signaled some willingness to find common ground on issues affecting New York City.

Mamdani requested the meeting to discuss housing affordability in New York, a pressing concern in one of America’s most expensive cities. Trump, who has deep ties to New York real estate, has suggested he might be willing to help address these challenges, though he has simultaneously threatened to withhold federal funding from his hometown under Mamdani’s leadership.

Political analysts note that beyond any policy discussions, the meeting serves strategic purposes for both politicians. For Mamdani, a state lawmaker who rose from relative obscurity to national prominence, sitting across from the president in the Oval Office elevates his stature and demonstrates his willingness to engage with political opponents.

For Trump, portraying Mamdani as the face of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing has energized his conservative base. The president recently told supporters that Mamdani “will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party,” suggesting he views the mayor-elect as a useful political foil.

The meeting also gives Trump an opportunity to address cost-of-living concerns, a growing vulnerability for his administration as inflation and housing costs remain top voter concerns nationwide.

Throughout New York’s mayoral race, Trump cast a long shadow over the proceedings. He endorsed independent candidate and former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo just before the election, predicting that New York had “ZERO chance of success, or even survival” if Mamdani won. Trump also questioned Mamdani’s citizenship—despite the fact that Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, is a naturalized American citizen—and threatened to have him arrested if he refused to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Mamdani prevailed against Cuomo by portraying his opponent as a “puppet” for Trump and positioning himself as someone who could “stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver.” During a primary debate, Mamdani declared, “I am Donald Trump’s worst nightmare, as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in.”

It remains unclear whether cameras will be allowed into Friday’s meeting. Trump’s daily schedule indicates the meeting will be private, though the president frequently invites a small press pool into such discussions at the last minute.

Previous Oval Office encounters during Trump’s administration have produced memorable moments of political theater. In March, the president engaged in a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that made headlines worldwide. During a May meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump dimmed the lights and played a controversial four-minute video making disputed claims about the persecution of white Afrikaner farmers.

A senior Trump administration official, speaking anonymously about internal discussions, revealed that the president hasn’t invested significant preparation time for the meeting with Mamdani, but confirmed that threats to restrict federal funding to New York remain a possibility.

For his part, Mamdani expressed confidence ahead of the meeting, stating Thursday that he was “not concerned” about potential public embarrassment and viewed the encounter as an opportunity to advocate for his city while acknowledging his “many disagreements with the president.”

Political observers have noted that despite their ideological differences, Trump and Mamdani share certain traits as political outsiders who rose to power with populist messages, skilled media navigation, and distinctive social media presences.

Both men also call Queens home—Trump was raised there, and Mamdani currently resides in the borough—adding another layer to their complex relationship as representatives of America’s largest city.