Mamdani appears stone-faced as Trump praises his 'great potential': 'Visibly flustered'

President Trump praised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's "great potential" during a Gracie Mansion meeting. 

Published on: Sep 22, 2026, 04:56:30 IST

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President Donald Trump surprised many on Monday by praising New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and saying he has “great potential.”

The two met inside Gracie Mansion in New York City and later held a joint press conference, just ahead of Tuesday's United Nations General Assembly session in the city.

What Trump said about Mamdani

When asked about Mamdani, Trump said he wants him to be a successful mayor because he wants what is good for New York and the country, Trump Said, “No, I certainly hope he will be a great mayor. You have to understand- I want what's good for New York. I want what's good for the country.”

He added, “So, if I had a choice of having him be a bad mayor or horrible mayor, I don't want that. I want him to be a great mayor, and he's certainly got potential and great potential.”

Earlier in the day, Trump had also called Gracie Mansion one of his "favorite places in the World" in a Truth Social post. He wrote, “I spent lots of hours there over the years, with some great Mayors, some average Mayors, and some bad Mayors. It will be interesting to see how it looks now, invited by Mayor Mamdani.”

Social media reacts to Mamdani's expressions

While Trump's comments were largely warm, several social media users focused instead on Mamdani's body language during the exchange.

Reactions on X included one user writing, “What a d-mb f–k. I feel bad for Mamdani having to suffer through all his bullsh-t,”

Other posts focused on Mamdani's expression, with one user writing, “Mamdani doesn’t look happy [laughing emoji].”

Another post said, “Mamdani looks like he was slapped….hard.”

“Mamdani becomes visibly flustered as President Trump says Iran will not have nuclear weapons. His eyes start off blinking normally then they start blinking in panic as soon as Trump mentions nuclear weapons,” wrote another.

Some users took a different view of the interaction. One wrote, “Mamdani plays him like a fiddle,” while another posted, “Trump is such a big fan of Zohran Mamdani.”

A history of tension between the two leaders

Monday's friendly exchange looks very different from how Trump and Mamdani have treated each other in the past. Before last year's election, Trump often criticized the democratic socialist mayor for his left-wing politics.

Later that same month, the two met face-to-face at the Oval Office. That meeting turned out to be more friendly than most people expected. But since then, Trump has gone back to criticizing some of Mamdani's policies. This includes accusing him of "destroying" the city with his proposed new tax on second homes, as per The Hill.

Mamdani raises Haitian immigrants' status with Trump

Mamdani said he raised the issue of Haitian immigrants' status in the US during Monday's meeting, calling it a "productive" conversation, as per Bloomberg.

"We are talking about one of the most critical communities in our city," he told reporters after the meeting. "We're talking about something that can either deliver or deny stability in their lives." The Trump administration has ended Temporary Protected Status for Haitians in the US, leaving them at risk of deportation. Trump acknowledged Mamdani had brought up the issue but did not commit to any action, saying only, “I feel strongly about taking care of people.”

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