Dmitri Drobnitsky
US President Donald Trump and New York City’s newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani met at the White House after months of trading insults.
During and after the meeting, the “crazy communist” and the “authoritarian dictator” found much in common.
Whoever conceived and arranged this meeting—President Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani—is, if not a genius, then certainly a master of political strategy.
Both lost more than they gained from their virtual squabbles. From the face-to-face meeting, both gained immeasurably more than they lost. Such is realpolitik on the eve of civil war.
Before the meeting, the 47th President of the United States and the newly elected mayor of New York City were called all sorts of names! The press and social media largely labeled them “crazy communist” and “terrible authoritarian dictator.” But during the meeting, both were quite friendly.
After the meeting, Trump declared that he “could live” in a New York City run by Mamdani. He, in turn, commented reservedly: “What I really appreciate about the president is that our meeting was not about our differences, of which there are many, but about the common goal we share in serving the people of New York.”
Trump has pulled off one of those “paradoxical moves” that earned him two presidential terms. He once again gives the impression of a leader who thinks broadly and is willing to break any mold “for the sake of ordinary people.” Not to mention that the smiling Mamdani, standing next to Trump at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, more than makes up for all the humiliations Trump suffered during the recent special elections in several states and cities.
What actually happens in New York under Mamdani is not so important. What matters is that, apparently, Trump has entered another period of inspiration, and not connected with the ballroom or “already achieved successes,” but in the arena of real politics. It’s this same Trump who’s currently pushing his 28-point “peace plan” for Ukraine down the throat of the Euro-Atlantic alliance. This is the Trump the American people and all sensible people around the world were hoping for in January 2025.
This could end quickly, especially since this inspired Trump objectively has few trump cards (no pun intended). But this is the same Trump. We’ll see what he can do.
Vladimir Morozov
