New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump has taken a peculiar turn, with the two figures now seemingly putting aside their differences to focus on serving the city's eight and a half million residents.
In the latest development, Mamdani asked Trump if he considered himself a fascist during their cordial gathering, only to receive a response that left many stunned: "If you want to call me that, you can." Mamdani replied with an uncharacteristically conciliatory "Okay." The exchange has sparked widespread surprise and debate, as it seems to encapsulate the complex dynamics between two politicians who had previously clashed online.
Trump's remarks not only sidestepped the question but also downplayed the label, saying "I've been called much worse" – a statement that can be seen as an attempt to deflect attention from his own authoritarian tendencies.
The Oval Office meeting itself has raised eyebrows, particularly given Trump's history of attacking Mamdani during their contentious mayoral campaign. Trump went all-out for Mamdani's opponent, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, and also fueled online harassment against the Muslim-American candidate, labeling him "anti-American" and sparking accusations of antisemitism.
The contrast between Trump's previous attacks on Mamdani and the warm, almost cordial tone of their Oval Office meeting has left many scratching their heads. Mamdani himself attributed the initiative for the meeting to his team, stating that collaboration was possible as long as it benefited the city's residents.
As the debate surrounding this encounter continues, experts are weighing in on its implications. Is this a sign of a potential policy alignment or simply Trump's recurring tendency to fixate on young, male politicians he once attacked? For Mamdani, the "fascist" question may have been a deliberate test of Trump's stance.
Whatever the motivations behind the exchange, one thing is clear: this meeting has become an iconic image of their tumultuous campaign, with two former adversaries now sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the Oval Office – and oddly enough, agreeing on what to call the president.
In the latest development, Mamdani asked Trump if he considered himself a fascist during their cordial gathering, only to receive a response that left many stunned: "If you want to call me that, you can." Mamdani replied with an uncharacteristically conciliatory "Okay." The exchange has sparked widespread surprise and debate, as it seems to encapsulate the complex dynamics between two politicians who had previously clashed online.
Trump's remarks not only sidestepped the question but also downplayed the label, saying "I've been called much worse" – a statement that can be seen as an attempt to deflect attention from his own authoritarian tendencies.
The Oval Office meeting itself has raised eyebrows, particularly given Trump's history of attacking Mamdani during their contentious mayoral campaign. Trump went all-out for Mamdani's opponent, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, and also fueled online harassment against the Muslim-American candidate, labeling him "anti-American" and sparking accusations of antisemitism.
The contrast between Trump's previous attacks on Mamdani and the warm, almost cordial tone of their Oval Office meeting has left many scratching their heads. Mamdani himself attributed the initiative for the meeting to his team, stating that collaboration was possible as long as it benefited the city's residents.
As the debate surrounding this encounter continues, experts are weighing in on its implications. Is this a sign of a potential policy alignment or simply Trump's recurring tendency to fixate on young, male politicians he once attacked? For Mamdani, the "fascist" question may have been a deliberate test of Trump's stance.
Whatever the motivations behind the exchange, one thing is clear: this meeting has become an iconic image of their tumultuous campaign, with two former adversaries now sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the Oval Office – and oddly enough, agreeing on what to call the president.
Mamdani's gotta be thinkin' there's somethin' deeper goin' on here... like, Trump ain't exactly known for his subtlety 
Trump just used that deflection tactic to change the convo. It's almost like he's tryin' to make people forget all the drama from the campaign 
but at the same time, I feel kinda bad for Mamdani... he already took a big hit online and now this? 
still, it's nice to see 'em put aside their differences for a sec... for the city's sake, that's all that matters 
I'm totally confused about this Oval Office meeting between Zohran Mamdani & Donald Trump! Like, they used to trash each other online, but now it's all cordial vibes? 
I mean, I get that Mamdani asked the "fascist" question as a test, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around Trump's response... I don't think downplaying the label is gonna fly with everyone! 
And what's up with Trump thinking he's been called worse? That's some deflection right there! 
. Like, he's literally saying "if you want to call me that, you can" 
. And then Mamdani goes and plays it cool with "okay". I mean, I get that both guys are politicians and all that jazz, but come on! The history between them is pretty shady 
. But hey, if it's gonna make for a better Oval Office selfie, I'm all for it 
. One thing's for sure, though: we're about to see some interesting policy decisions from Mamdani now that he's in office 
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I'm watching this video of Trump and Mamdani from 2024 and it's like a whole different world 
. Remember when we used to think Trump was all about hate speech? 
Now he's just... cool, I guess? 
But seriously, what's up with him calling himself a fascist? That's some wild stuff, bro! 
And Mamdani just goes along with it like "okay" 
. What's going on here? Is this some kinda test to see how far he'll go? 
. Mamdani's got this whole "unifying" vibe going on, but I'm not convinced 
I don't know, man... I'm just gonna keep watching and see what happens next 
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. And don't even get me started on how Trump tried to gaslight Mamdani during the campaign – total bullying tactics 
. But you know what's even more interesting? The fact that Mamdani didn't take the bait and instead chose to have an actual conversation with Trump about it. That's leadership, folks! Not just empty words or trying to deflect attention. And let's be real, if Trump really did call himself a fascist... 
. It's like Mamdani was trying to test the waters, see how far he could push Trump before he snapped back 
.
. The timing of this meeting, with Trump's history of attacking Mamdani and his opponent Andrew Cuomo, raises some serious questions about what's really going on here 
. Mamdani's response was super conciliatory, which could be seen as a clever move to diffuse the tension and avoid any further conflict 
. Will they actually work together to get stuff done for NYC, or will it just be more of the same old Trump drama? 
. And let's be real, the way he downplayed the label is just another example of him dodging accountability 
️. It's like they say: "politics is the art of the possible" 
... and sometimes that means making unappealing alliances to get things done 
and now they're shaking hands 
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That's some serious bravado right there. But hey, if Mamdani wants to play it cool and take the high road, more power to him... I just hope he's not getting played by Trump behind our backs 
. It's like he thinks downplaying the label will somehow make it go away. Meanwhile, Mamdani seems so chill about the whole thing, almost as if he was just testing Trump's waters 
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