(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump stated that he thinks New York’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani “could do a very good job.”

The two political rivals met face-to-face for the first time at the White House on Friday.

”I can tell you, some of my views have changed… I feel very confident that he can do a very good job. I think he is gonna surprise some conservative people, actually,” Trump remarked, highlighting Mamdani’s success in the election.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist and relatively unknown state legislator who recently won New York’s mayoral contest, initiated the meeting with Trump to discuss issues such as the cost of living and public safety.

Following months of public clashes in the media, the mayor-elect and the president seemed to establish a cordial relationship in the Oval Office.

“We agreed on a lot more than I thought,” Trump told reporters after their private discussion.

“We have one thing in common: we want this city of ours that we love to do very well.”

“It was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City, and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.

Mamdani’s triumph in the predominantly Democratic city came despite strong resistance from conservatives and lukewarm support from mainstream Democrats.

Earlier, Trump had labeled him a “communist lunatic,” warning that his policies might drive New Yorkers to relocate to Miami.

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