“We agreed a lot more than I would have thought,” Mr Trump said in the Oval Office, sometimes jumping in to shield Mr Mamdani from aggressive questioning from the press. For Mr Mamdani, the meeting represented vindication of his strategy to focus the discussion on economic issues rather than ideological divides. A democratic socialist and little-known state lawmaker who won New York’s mayoral race earlier this month, Mr Mamdani requested the sit-down with Mr Trump, at the White House, to discuss cost-of-living issues and public safety. Inflation has been a big issue for Americans, and it’s one on which they give Mr Trump low marks. Mr Trump said he was puzzled by Mr Mamdani’s speech after excerpts were replayed to him during the Fox News interview on Friday morning.

Source: The Irish Times November 22, 2025 00:40 UTC