WASHINGTON — President Trump said Thursday he was “surprised” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized his Saturday raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Mamdani, who took office two days before the raid, publicly criticized Trump and even briefly phoned the president to privately object to the ouster of the fellow socialist, who is now facing federal drug charges.
“You know, I met him, he came to the Oval Office, and we’ve had some nice conversations and very good. And then he hit me a little bit on the tremendous victory — and you would say it was a tremendous victory — on Venezuela,” Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt in an interview.
“And I said, ‘Gee, I thought he would have at least waited a month.’ I was surprised that he hit me on that, but he did. So what are you going to do? I expected it. I just thought it would be maybe three or four weeks instead of immediately, because I do get along with him.”
Trump added: “He’s got a great personality, he’s a nice guy. His policies are not good, but maybe he changes. You know, that’s what I would view, because I want to do everything I can to help New York… I hope New York will thrive. But typically, those policies… in history, those policies have never worked.”
Trump, 79, and Mamdani, 34, stunningly swapped kind words at a Nov. 21 event in the Oval Office — despite both men trading insults ahead of the Nov. 4 mayoral election.
Trump, who had called Mamdani a “communist” and threatened to cut off federal funds to his hometown, pivoted in the joint appearance, predicting that the youthful politician “is going to surprise some conservative people, actually.”
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“I expect to be helping him, not hurting him,” Trump said — just 18 days after endorsing the independent candidacy of former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a desperate attempt to shut out Mamdani.
“I met with a man who’s a very rational person. I met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again…. I think he wants to make it greater than ever before.”
Mamdani, who had called Trump a despot and a fascist, reciprocated during that stunning appearance, saying, “I am really looking forward to delivering for New Yorkers in partnership with the president on the affordability agenda.”
