President Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani face off at White House
After trading barbs for months, President Donald Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani have met for the first time to discuss the future of the country’s largest city.
President Donald Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani have shrugged off earlier verbal sparring matches after meeting for the first time, vowing to work together to help deliver relief to the 8.5 million New Yorkers “struggling to afford life in the most expensive city in the United States of America”.
Speaking to reporters in the White House, Mr Mamdani was asked whether he stood by his comments days ago labelling the President a despot and a traitor to America with a fascist agenda, prompting Mr Trump to quip he’d been “called a lot worse”.
“I think both President Trump and I, we are very clear about our positions and our views, and what I really appreciate about the President is that the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers,” Mr Mamdani said.
“And frankly, that is something that could transform the lives of eight and a half million people who are currently struggling under a cost of living crisis, with one in four living in poverty.
“And the meeting came back again and again to what it could look like to lift those New Yorkers out of struggle and start to deliver them a city that they could do more than just struggle to afford it, but actually start to live in it.”
Mr Trump interjected: “And I’ve been called much worse than a despot, so it’s not that insulting, maybe I think he’ll change his mind after we get to working together.”
Before Mr Mamdani’s election, the President threatened to slash federal funding for America’s biggest city if he won but reversed course after the first face-to-face meeting in Washington DC.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Mr Trump said of the funding threat.
“We had a meeting today that actually surprised me, he wants to see no crime, he wants to see housing being built, he wants to see rents coming down, all things that I agree with.”
“I expect to be helping him, not hurting him, a big help, because I want New York City to be great.”
The President, who grew up in the New York borough of Queens, said he believed Mr Mamdani could be great for his hometown.
Asked if he would feel comfortable living in New York under the Mamdani administration, Mr Trump said “absolutely”.
“We agree on a lot more than I would have thought,” Mr Trump said.
“I think he’s I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help them do a great job.”
Asked about his own comments describing Mr Mamdani as a communist, Mr Trump said the mayor-elect’s views were “out there” but sad he might change his stance.
We all change,” he said.
I changed a lot from when I first came to office.”
Mr Mamdani, a socialist democrat, won New York’s mayoral election earlier this month and will be sworn in on January 1.
‘HANG THEM’: TRUMP GOES AFTER ‘TRAITOR’ DEMOCRATS
US President Donald Trump suggested that Democrat politicians who urged the military to refuse illegal orders could be executed, calling them traitors and accusing them of “seditious behaviour.”
Democrats immediately slammed Mr Trump’s “absolutely vile” threats against the six senators and representatives, who made the comments in a video posted on X.
“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOUR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Mr Trump said on Truth Social.
He then added in a later post: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOUR, punishable by DEATH!” The 79-year-old also reposted a message from a user urging him to “hang them” and saying that the first US president, George Washington, would have done the same.
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r
The Democrats involved have backgrounds in the military or intelligence services and included Senator Mark Kelly, a former member of the Navy and NASA astronaut, and Senator Elissa Slotkin, who served with the CIA in Iraq.
“You can refuse illegal orders,” they said in the video, accusing Mr Trump of “pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.”
They did not specify which orders they were referring to, but President Trump has ordered the National Guard into multiple US cities, in many cases against the wishes of local officials, in a bid to bring allegedly rampant unrest under control.
Abroad, President Trump ordered strikes on a series of alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that have left more than 80 people dead and which experts say are illegal.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt walked back Mr Trump’s suggestion, saying that the president did not want to see members of Congress executed.
She still lashed out, saying: “Why aren’t you talking about what these members of Congress are doing to encourage and incite violence?”
The Democratic Party reacted furiously to Mr Trump’s remarks.
“Trump just called for the death of Democratic elected officials. Absolutely vile,” the party posted on its official X account.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Mr Trump of fanning the flames of violence among his supporters.
“He is lighting a match in a country soaked with political gasoline,” Mr Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor.
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TRUMP, VANCE SNUBBED FROM CHENEY FUNERAL; HARRIS, BIDEN REUNITE
Former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral drew a robust roster of politicians including Democrats who had battled with George W. Bush’s second-in-command during his eight years in power.
But there were also some glaring absences from the mourners.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were not invited, according to the White House.
Meanwhile, former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle did not attend.
Michelle Obama opted out of two other prominent political events earlier in the year: former president Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Trump’s second inauguration.
Anchor Rachel Maddow, a longtime critic of the late VP, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were among the mourners, joined by Dr Anthony Fauci and former Vice President Al Gore.
The front pew was populated by former President Joe Biden, ex-first lady Jill Biden, and former Vice President Kamala Harris and former VP Mike Pence — along with Mr Bush, who eulogised Mr Cheney.
Many prominent Republicans also attended, but not House Speaker Mike Johnson, who frequently clashed with Mr Cheney’s daughter, Liz Cheney.
The White House has not offered formal condolences to the Cheney family since his death on November 3, and acknowledged that flags were only lowered at the executive mansion because it was required by law.
Liz Cheney, who served as co-chair of the House select committee that investigated Mr Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, was among the speakers at the funeral.
The embrace of Dick Cheney by his former critics, many of whom derided him in the past as a thoughtless warmonger and architect of the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ claim, was on display last year when he endorsed Ms Harris, then the Democratic presidential nominee, against Mr Trump.
“In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Mr Cheney said at the time.
“He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again.”
FUMING TRUMP BLASTS ‘BUM’ KIMMEL
Donald Trump has slammed his frequent nemesis, Jimmy Kimmel host of the ABC late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”.
“Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air?”
“Why do the TV Syndicates put up with it? Also, totally biased coverage. Get the bum off the air!!!”
During Kimmel’s show, which aired just prior to Mr Trump’s post, Kimmel suggested that Mr Trump should be prepared as the long-anticipated Epstein files get closer to release.
“We are carefully following the path of Hurricane Epstein right now. It is a category 5, it’s expected to make landfall sometime very soon,” Kimmel said.
Earlier on Wednesday local time, Mr Trump said that he had signed legislation instructing the US Department of Justice to release the files it has on Epstein within 30 days.
“Usually when Trump gets a bill, he declares bankruptcy and doesn’t pay it,” Kimmel joked.
The comedian also spelled out what the release might mean. “We are one step closer to answering the question, what did the president know and how old were these women when he knew it,” Kimmel said.
Kimmel also spoke about Elon Musk’s return to the White House after his fall out with Mr Trump and his departure from DOGE in May.
“Their relationship is like a Cybertruck. It’s cold one minute, on fire the next,” Kimmel said of the two.
“I guess they made up,” he continued. “Musk publicly threatened to drop a big Epstein bomb on Trump, but now I guess they’re cool.”
MELANIA’S ‘TERMINATOR’ SPEECH DIVIDES
The First Lady of the United States has delivered a “dystopian” speech to the military, warning that AI will be soon used on the battlefield.
Speaking to troops at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, Melania Trump’s eerie message compared the escalation of AI to the introduction of nuclear weapons.
She thanked the Marines and their families for their service and suggested the US military might soon transform from using soldiers to machines.
“Artificial intelligence is propelling America’s military into a new era,” Mrs Trump said.
“We are moving from human operators to human overseers – fast.
“The shift from soldiers to machines is already underway. Autonomous helicopters, swarming drones, and recon aircraft are here now.”
The First Lady added in order to win the AI war, they must prepare the next generation.
“Fighter-less jets and autonomous bombers are on the way,” she said.
“Good afternoon Camp Lejeune!†pic.twitter.com/Hp9SelbqPP
— Link Lauren (@itslinklauren) November 19, 2025
The response to Melania’s speech was mixed, with some taking to social media to complain that it was a bit too tech-heavy.
One asked: “Is this speech supposed to be dystopian?”
“Trailer for the new Terminator spin-off?” another joked.
Others wondered if this was an appropriate speech for troops.
“Yeah nothing like telling the military they’re obsolete while wishing them a happy thanksgiving,” one said.
“This should make them feel good,” another quipped.
Mrs Trump, who has taken an interest in the technology revolution, gave a rare speech at the White House earlier this year stating “robots are here.”
“Our future is no longer science fiction,” she said in September.
MUSK’S GOBSMACKING REMARK ABOUT SAUDI PRINCE
A lip reader claims Elon Musk cheekily asked the boss of pharma giant Pfizer whether he believed Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince was a terrorist when he was invited to White House for banquet to honour the state visit.
Mr Musk, who has been inching his way back into US President Donald Trump’s inner circle following a spectacular feud earlier this year, was seated near Pfizer CEO Albert Boula at the glitzy dinner held in honour of Mohammed bin Salman.
Elon chatting it up Albert Bourla (Pfizer) at the White House dinner.
— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) November 19, 2025
Narrate what you think they’re talking about.. pic.twitter.com/VcYdHVPedO
Lip reader Nicole Hickling told the Daily Mail what Mr Musk allegedly asked Mr Boula.
“What is your opinion, is he a terrorist?” he said according to Ms Hickling.
Crown Prince bin Salman visited the White House for the first time since Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally assassinated by the Saudis in 2018.
A US intelligence report into the incident found the Saudi leader ordered the killing but Mr Trump defended him this week stating he “knew nothing about it and we can leave it at that.”
‘REBELLION’: TROOPS URGED TO ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’
The White House slammed a call by six Democratic politicians for US military and intelligence personnel to refuse “illegal orders” from Donald Trump’s administration.
“Top Democrats openly appeal to CIA and military officials to engage in rebellion against their Commander-in-Chief. Do not underestimate how dangerously radicalised the Democrat party has become,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller posted on X.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also hit back against the message, describing it on X as “Stage 4 TDS,” or “Trump Derangement Syndrome” – a term used by the right to mock the president’s opponents.
The group of Democratic senators and representatives – who themselves all have military or intelligence service backgrounds – said in a video posted to X that “this administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.”
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r
“Right now, the threats to our constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home,” they said, adding: “You can refuse illegal orders.”
Mr Trump’s administration has come under fire for its employment of US forces both at home and abroad.
President Trump has ordered the National Guard into multiple US cities – in many cases against the wishes of local officials, who have responded with legal challenges – in a bid to bring allegedly rampant unrest under control.
The politicians in the video appeal included Senator Mark Kelly, a former member of the Navy and NASA astronaut, and Senator Elissa Slotkin, who served with the CIA in Iraq.
– with AFP
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Originally published as President Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani face off at White House
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