Has Zohran Mamdani changed his views about Trump post Oval Office meeting?

WEB DESK: New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has made clear that his assessment of President Donald Trump has not softened, despite a surprisingly cordial meeting between the two leaders at the White House last week.

Speaking on NBC on Sunday, Mamdani said he continues to believe Trump embodies fascist politics — a view he has expressed repeatedly throughout his campaign. “It’s a position I’ve taken before and it’s one I still hold,” he said when asked directly about the label.

The Democratic Socialist politician met Trump on Friday in the Oval Office, where the pair struck a noticeably warmer tone after months of harsh public criticism. Trump had previously attacked Mamdani over his politics and even suggested he should be deported.

In an unexpected moment during their joint appearance before reporters, Trump interjected when a journalist pressed Mamdani on whether he still considered him a fascist. “That’s OK, you can just say it,” Trump said with a shrug. “It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.”

Reflecting on the encounter, Mamdani told NBC that the discussion was “honest” and didn’t shy away from the ideological gulf between them. “What I appreciated about the conversation was that we didn’t pretend those disagreements don’t exist,” he said. “We talked openly about the politics that brought us to this point.”

Despite the renewed civility, Mamdani stressed that mutual respect in dialogue does not erase fundamental differences, a tension likely to shape relations between the left-leaning mayor-elect and the Republican president in the months ahead.