April 17, 2026, 2:54 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump and Mayor Zohran Mamdani have plenty of history.
The pair has used social media and in-person meeting to forge a unique political relationship, as Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has remained (mostly) in Trump’s good graces despite major policy differences.
But the difference are often made public, including Thursday when Trump sharply criticized Mamdani’s new tax plan, which targets richer residents and Friday with the first-term mayor’s on-message response.
Here is how their DC-to-NYC bromance has evolved over time.
How did Trump feel about Mamdani before he was mayor?
The democratic socialist took heavy hits from the Republican party after securing the Democrat primary last year. Mamdani had defied all odds and beat one of the biggest political dynasties in New York for the ballot spot, a result that shocked most of the country.
The president continued to throw insults at the mayoral hopeful in the following months, commonly referring to him as a communist. Mamdani has starkly disagreed with most of Trump’s policies, too, and has called Trump a fascist.
In one instance, Mamdani had said that he wouldn’t assist ICE officials in the city; Trump threatened to arrest him in response.
Trump also said that “a lot of people are saying he’s here illegally,” which is false. Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
“The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported. Not because I have broken any law but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorize our city,” Mamdani said after the remarks.
“We will not accept this intimidation.”
As the election drew near, Trump endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and said that he would withhold federal funding if the democratic socialist had won. The city receives billions of dollars every year from the federal government.
“If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the Election for Mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home,” Trump posted to Truth Social last year.
“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!”
Is Mamdani a socialist?
So, is Mamdani a communist like Trump says? The mayor identifies as a democratic socialist, which is described as “a system where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and society” by DSA, or Democratic Socialists of America.
“We want a democracy powered by everyday people.,” the group says on their website.
“The capitalist class tells us we are powerless, but together we can take back control.”
What was Trump’s reaction to Mamdani winning?
Trump, a native New Yorker, posted on Truth Social after the win: “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor.”
“We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous. He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!”
Trump and Mamdani’s first in-person meeting
Days later, Mamdani had reached out and requested to meet with the president, to which Trump agreed. The pair first met on Nov. 21.
“It was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers,” Mamdani said in the White House after their first face-to-face meeting.
“I think you’re going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor,” Trump said.
“I expect to be helping him, not hurting him.”
The two did have some policy alignment, like affordability.
“He wants to see no crime. He wants to see housing being built. He wants to see rents coming down, all things that I agree with,” Trump continued after the meeting.
“Now, we may disagree how to get there.”
According to reports, during the meeting, Trump had even said Mamdani was “better looking in person than you are on TV.”
After that, although the two had varying disagreements on certain issues, Mamdani remained mostly out of Trump’s crosshairs, and even met with him again at the White House after becoming mayor.
Why is Trump mad at Mamdani now?
This week, Mamdani announced plans for one of his key campaign promises: taxing the rich. Alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul, the mayor unveiled a new pied-à-terre tax – a first for the state.
The new tax “will levy an annual surcharge on one to three family homes, condominiums and co-ops valued above $5 million when owners have a separate primary residence outside of New York City,” the city says.
But Trump wasn’t a fan of the new policy.
“Sadly, Mayor Mamdani is DESTROYING New York! It has no chance! The United States of America should not contribute to its failure,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.
“It will only get WORSE. The TAX, TAX, TAX Policies are SO WRONG. People are fleeing. They must change their ways, AND FAST. History has proven, THIS ‘STUFF’ JUST DOESN’T WORK.”
How did Mamdani respond?
On Friday, Mamdani said that “the president and I both want the city to succeed. This is how you do it.”
“I’ve made it clear to the president and to the public that I am deeply supportive of taxing the rich,” Mamdani said during a news conference about trash.
