New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani stood by his previous statements calling President Donald Trump a “fascist” and a “threat to democracy.”
Mamdani recorded an interview on Saturday with NBC News’s Meet the Press, which aired on Sunday. Host Kristen Welker followed up on a question Mamdani received while standing next to Trump in the Oval Office on Friday about the president being fascist.
“Mr. mayor-elect, just to be very clear. Do you think that President Trump is a fascist?” Welker asked.
“After President Trump said that, I said, ‘Yes,’” Mamdani said. “That’s something I’ve said in the past and I say today. And I think what I appreciated about the conversation that I had with the president was that we were not shy about the places of disagreement, about the politics that has brought us to this moment, and we also wanted to focus on what it could look like to deliver on a shared analysis of an affordability crisis for New Yorkers.”
Welker also asked about Mamdani accusing Trump of being a “threat to democracy” as many Democratic opponents had during Trump’s campaign.
“Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe,” Mamdani said. “I’m not coming into the Oval Office to make a point or make a stand. I’m coming in there to deliver for New Yorkers.”
During the Friday Oval Office press conference, Mamdani was asked the same question about Trump being a fascist, but before he could answer, the president interjected.
“That’s OK, you can just say it,” Trump said, patting Mamdani on the arm. “It’s easier, it’s easier than explaining it.”
Mamdani responded: “Ok, all right… yes.”
TRUMP GIVES MAMDANI PERMISSION TO CALL HIM ‘FASCIST’ IN OVAL OFFICE PRESS CONFERENCE
Trump, who had endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the race for mayor, was overall cordial with Mamdani during the mayor-elect’s visit.
“I want [Mamdani] to do a great job, and we’ll help them do a great job,” Trump said Friday. “I expect to be helping him, not hurting him, a big help, because I want New York City to be great.”Mamdani won just over 50% of the vote in New York City, while his predecessor, Eric Adams, won 67% of the vote in 2021. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won the city with 70% of the vote during last year’s election.