New york,
Just days after a cordial meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Sunday that he still considers Trump a fascist and a threat to American democracy.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Mamdani did not back away from his earlier statements about the president.
“And that’s something that I’ve said in the past. I say it today,” Mamdani remarked when asked whether he still believes Trump is a fascist.
Despite maintaining his criticism, Mamdani said he valued the discussion with Trump and stressed that their conversation was not superficial.
According to Mamdani, both leaders addressed areas of disagreement directly, while also trying to find common ground on issues affecting New Yorkers.
“Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe. And that’s the thing that I think is important in our politics — that we don’t shy away from where we have disagreements,” he said. “I’m not coming into the Oval Office to make a point. I’m coming in there to deliver for New Yorkers.”
Mamdani explained that he intentionally kept the meeting respectful to show that political rivals can still work together productively.
He said he wanted to focus on the issues that “keep New Yorkers up at night,” including affordability and public safety.
On Friday, after the closed-door meeting that lasted roughly 25 minutes, Mamdani and Trump appeared friendly during a joint press conference, exchanging compliments and shaking hands — a stark contrast to their tense exchanges during the campaign season. At the time, Trump had threatened to cut federal funding to New York if Mamdani were elected and to deploy federal agents to the city, while Mamdani had harshly criticized ICE operations and Trump’s deportation policies.
When a reporter asked Mamdani on Friday whether he still viewed Trump as a fascist, Trump playfully stepped in to defuse the moment.
“That’s OK, you can just say ‘Yes.’ It’s easier,” Trump joked while patting Mamdani on the back.
During Sunday’s interview, Mamdani said the Oval Office meeting was “productive,” emphasizing that both sides focused on affordability and safety rather than political conflict. Mamdani stopped short of confirming whether Trump promised not to send federal troops into New York City, though Trump stated on Saturday that “other places need it more.”
The mayor-elect concluded that he made it clear to the president that maintaining safety would remain under the authority of the NYPD.