Both parties went on to view the meeting as very productive, despite having criticized each other in the past. Trump himself wished to have a “strong and very safe New York” under Mamdani.

These results were fairly surprising to many on both sides of the political aisle, given both Trump and Mamdani’s animosity towards each other. In the past, Donald Trump has questioned Zohran Mamdani’s citizenship, and threatened to arrest him, while Mamdani has called out Trump as a fascist and despot.

The election of Zohran Mamdani has brought hope to many New Yorkers, given his plans for better public transit, rent freezes, and to prevent ICE from illegally arresting New Yorkers, bringing to him the initial negative attention of the Trump Administration. In the weeks since the meeting, Mamdani has prepared for his step-up into the role of mayor, forming a cabinet and transition team, as well as creating an educational video informing New Yorkers of their rights against ICE.

 The positive outcomes of his meeting with Trump give many New Yorkers hope, while others believe that it is just an act. Scarlet Weinstein, a former resident of New York and Editor-in-Chief of The Paw, thinks that the meeting was an attempt by Trump to increase his following. She does think that Mamdani will be able to tackle NYC’s core issues, and that Trump will not play a significant role in that effort. “I think Donald Trump is doing it to look better, to get New York on his side again” Weinstein said.

Rose Mestrandrea, a student at WMC, also agrees, saying that Trump may be attempting to gain support.  “Trump is saying whatever he can to win people over,” Mestrandrea said. Donald Trump, a former New Yorker, has expressed interest in returning to the city, and said during the press meeting that he would be comfortable living in a Mamdani-run New York. 

The broader outcomes of the meeting are still uncertain, especially regarding crime and the affordability crisis. Mestrandrea hopes that Trump can help Mamdani “make decisions to reduce crime that don’t solely consist of handling immigration”, while Weinstein believes that Trump will have minimal impact if change does occur, “[Trump] mostly looks out for the upper class, and this is a predominantly lower class issue” Weinstein said. Mamdani takes office in 2026, leaving time before any visible results show.