Acid insults were set aside as New York’s mayor-elect and the president promoted their shared goals

There was one moment in particular when Zohran Mamdani seemed like he might have bit off a little more than he could chew by making his lonely pilgrimage down to the lion’s den that is President Trump’s blinged-out Oval Office. The 34-year-old mayor-elect of New York was pressed by a reporter if he thought his host, who was sitting about four inches away, was really “a fascist.” How terribly awkward. But before Mr. Mamdani could even get out one of his slick and diplomatic answers, the president jumped in to throw him a lifeline. “That’s OK, you could just say, ‘Yes,’” Mr. Trump said, looking highly amused by the whole thing. He waved his hand, as if being called the worst term in the political dictionary was no big deal.

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