NEW YORK Sept 22, 2026 — President Donald Trump praised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday, saying the democratic socialist has “great potential” to become a “great mayor,” after the pair held a surprisingly cordial private meeting at Gracie Mansion.
The president, in town for a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, met with Mamdani for about an hour in the mansion’s Yellow Parlor. They later appeared together at an unscheduled press conference on the lawn, where Trump delivered the compliment before patting the mayor on the arm as he departed.
“I want what’s good for New York. I want what’s good for the country,” Trump said. “So if I had a choice of having him be a bad mayor, or a horrible mayor — I don’t want that. I want him to be a great mayor, and he’s certainly got potential, got great potential.”
The moment, captured on video and shared widely, including by the account @HQNewsNow, underscored the pair’s unexpected working relationship. Despite sharp ideological differences and past public attacks, the two have developed a pragmatic rapport since Mamdani’s 2025 election victory. This was their third in-person meeting and the first on New York soil.
Mamdani, who invited Trump to the official mayoral residence, described the discussion as “wide-ranging.” Topics included a proposed 12,000-unit affordable housing development at Sunnyside Yard in Queens that would require substantial federal funding and approvals, immigration issues such as Temporary Protected Status for certain groups, and policing.
Trump called Sunnyside Yard “a big job” that has been discussed for decades and noted the project would need federal support. Mamdani said the two sides agreed to take talks “to the next level.” The mayor has previously sought billions in federal grants for the platform needed to build over the rail yard.
On immigration, Mamdani said he shared “very strong opinions” about keeping New Yorkers safe and emphasized the importance of TPS programs to the city. He later told reporters he would meet with anyone who could deliver results for residents.
Trump, a native New Yorker, framed the visit as something of a homecoming to a place he knows well. The two men and their chiefs of staff sat across from each other in front of an unlit fireplace during the closed-door session.
The meeting continues a pattern that began with their first White House encounter in November 2025, shortly after Mamdani’s election. At that time, Trump similarly expressed confidence in the incoming mayor after months of campaign-season criticism. A second meeting followed in February 2026. Both sides have repeatedly stressed a shared interest in New York’s success even as they differ on policy.
Mamdani, who once labeled Trump a fascist during the campaign, has taken a more measured tone in office while still pressing his priorities on affordability and immigrant protections. Trump has at times criticized specific Mamdani proposals but has also spoken of wanting the city to thrive.
The clip of Trump’s praise and the departing pat on the arm quickly circulated as a visual of the odd-couple dynamic playing out ahead of the president’s UN address. Whether the goodwill produces concrete progress on housing or immigration remains to be seen, but both men presented the sit-down as productive.
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