- Brian Kilmeade said Trump and Mamdani's White House meeting went far better than expected
- Trump and Mamdani shared a friendly handshake and had a positive conversation in the Oval Office
- The meeting marked a shift from earlier public clashes and harsh rhetoric between the two
Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade said that Friday's White House meeting between US President Donald Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani went far better than expected, claiming the two hit it off immediately. So much so that "J.D. Vance is jealous."
"I think J.D. Vance is jealous," Kilmeade said.
"I think the president wants to use him [Mamdani] as a running mate. They really got along fantastic."
Kilmeade said that Trump was "complimentary" when talking to Mamdani and further pointed out that the pair even shared "a friendly handshake" during their conversation.
The meeting marked a sharp shift from the bitter exchanges that preceded it.
For months, Trump had publicly clashed with Mamdani, warning that a Mamdani victory could jeopardise federal support for New York City. In August, he wrote on Truth Social, "He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great city. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his fake communist promises." He continued, "He won't be getting any of it, so what's the point of voting for him?"
But after meeting face-to-face in the Oval Office, Trump was softer in his approach. He said that he believed the mayor-elect "can do a very good job," and told reporters that "I think you're going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor. The better he does, the happier I am."
"There's no difference in party, there's no difference in anything," he said. "And we're going to be helping him to make everybody's dream come true. Having a strong and very safe New York."
Asked if he would consider living in New York under Mamdani's leadership, Trump replied, "Yeah, I would. I really would. Especially after the meeting."
Kilmeade said that there was a shift in tone by contrasting months of personal attacks with Friday's cordial exchange. The atmosphere, he said, was "pretty different" from their earlier rhetoric.
"This was a love fest. This was a respect fest," Kilmeade said.
Mamdani will be the first Muslim and first South Asian mayor in New York.
He vowed to focus on affordability issues, including the cost of housing, groceries, childcare and buses in a city of 8.5 million people. New Yorkers pay nearly double the average rent nationwide.
