(Washington) Forgotten the bitter exchanges of recent months: Donald Trump and the next Democratic mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani promised on Friday to work together, exchanging smiles and pleasantries in the Oval Office.
“I think you’re going to have, hopefully, a great mayor. The more successful he is, the happier I will be. (…) We are going to help him realize everyone’s dream, to have a strong and very secure New York,” declared the American president, who had repeatedly described Zohran Mamdani as a “communist” during the municipal campaign.
The elected Democrat considered his interview with the Republican billionaire “very productive”.
He stressed that their meeting “did not focus on the points of disagreement, which are numerous”, but on their “common objective of being of service to New Yorkers” to fight against the high cost of living, his great campaign promise.
“Despot”
During their joint appearance in front of the cameras, Donald Trump, himself a New Yorker, almost seemed to take the 34-year-old Democrat under his wing, predicting that he would “surprise some conservatives.” »
Asked about past comments from Zohran Mamdani, who had called him a “despot”, Donald Trump, who can be very resentful, responded in a light tone: “Things have been said about me much worse than a despot. So it’s not that insulting. Maybe he’ll change his mind. »
PHOTO JONATHAN ERNST, REUTERS
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and United States President Donald Trump
The 79-year-old Republican, always fond of media attention, welcomed the interest generated by this meeting, which caused a particularly large influx of journalists to the White House.
The American president congratulated his visitor for his “incredible” campaign, which he started as a complete unknown and ended not only as an elected mayor, but as a new star of American progressives.
“He said a lot of my constituents actually voted for him,” the president noted.
— One in ten, intervened the designated mayor.
— That suits me, concluded the American president. »
“I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work with him on any program that benefits New Yorkers. If a program harms New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say it,” the elected official, a Muslim born in Uganda to an Indian family, had promised before the meeting.
Good sign
Donald Trump supported his main opponent Andrew Cuomo, former Democratic governor of the state. But on November 4, Zohran Mamdani won with more than 50% of the votes, with a record participation of more than 2 million voters, unheard of since 1969.
Beyond their disagreements, Zohran Mamdani cannot afford a total break with the American president, who had threatened to cut federal funds intended for New York and sent the National Guard to several Democratic strongholds.
While waiting for him to take office on the 1ster January, the future mayor also tries to reassure those who worry about his inexperience (his only mandate is that of district elected official in the New York State assembly).
After choosing as his right-hand man Dean Fuleihan, a 74-year-old veteran of local politics, the Democrat reappointed Jessica Tisch, a professional with a firm profile, hailed for having reduced crime in New York as head of the police.
The nomination did not escape Donald Trump.
“It’s a good sign,” he said on Friday, noting that the police chief had friendly ties with her daughter Ivanka.
“Although he has not abandoned any of his political objectives, the fact that Zohran Mamdani retains certain senior officials from the (outgoing) administration, which he had sharply criticized, seems to indicate that his revolution will have safeguards,” judges Grant Reeher, professor of politics at Syracuse University.
