President Donald Trump met with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani for the first time on Friday in the Oval Office. (Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images)
Heinrich had earlier asked Mamdani whether he stood by his previous comments describing Trump’s agenda as "fascist" and "despotic."
Mamdani did not give a direct answer, saying only that he intended to work with the president "where we agree" to help the city’s 8.5 million residents.
Trump jumped in before he finished, adding with a laugh, "I’ve been called much worse than a despot — maybe he’ll change his mind."
TRUMP PREDICTS 'CIVIL' MEETING WITH MAMDANI DESPITE PAST COMMENTS ABOUT EACH OTHER
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (L) in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
The spray also touched on public safety, with Mamdani saying he intends to maintain roughly 35,000 NYPD officers while shifting more non-urgent calls away from police and toward mental-health responders.
Trump said both men shared a goal of removing "very bad people" and making the city safer, adding that "we want New York to thrive again."
The exchange with Heinrich is likely to fuel further scrutiny over how Mamdani balances far-left progressive messaging with the realistic demands of governing. The mayor-elect has proudly identified as a democratic socialist, but said he intends to "meet the moment" in partnership with the Trump administration when possible.
Trump, who joked that the spray attracted "more reporters than usual," said he was open to meeting again. Mamdani added the same, saying his goal was to find points of agreement that could "deliver for New Yorkers right away."
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The President posted to Truth Social on Friday night, documenting the visit with several photos of the two men, captioned "It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!"
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/just-say-yes-trump-cuts-nyc-mayor-elect-mamdani-dodges-calling-him-fascist-oval-office