- Zohran Mamdani said the weirdest thing he spotted at White House was a UFC coffee table book
- The book visualised the UFC octagon arena planned for the White House South Lawn event
- Mamdani declined to attend the UFC event during his interview on The Adam Friedland Show
New York City's Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani disclosed he spotted the "weirdest thing" during his White House meeting with President Donald Trump last week. During his appearance on the web-based "The Adam Friedland Show", the democratic socialist noted he spotted a "UFC" coffee table book among Trump's reading materials and said he had "no idea" that the White House was scheduled to host the mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn in June.
Recalling his day, 34-year-old Mamdani said, "I sit down, waiting for the time of the meeting, and in front of me are all of these different coffee-table books."
"And one of them is UFC at the White House. I had no idea, and I was just flipping, flipping through that."
When asked if he saw photos of people fighting each other in the book, Mamdani noted that it was just a visualisation of what the UFC's octagon-shaped cage arena would look like on the South Lawn.
The event – which Trump first teased in July this year as part of America's 250th anniversary celebration – is scheduled to coincide with the president's 80th birthday on June 14, 2026.
Mamdani was asked whether he was planning to attend the event. He replied, "No," with a chuckle.
Trump Is A Fascist
In another interview with NBC, Mamdani reiterated that he views Trump as a "fascist" and a "despot" just days after his surprisingly cordial meeting with the American president at the White House.
Speaking to NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Mamdani was asked if he still considered Trump a threat to democracy.
"Everything that I've said in the past I continue to believe... I think it is important in our politics that we don't shy away from where we have disagreements," he said.
Mamdani-Trump Viral Moment
During their joint media interaction at the White House, Trump came to Mamdani's rescue when a reporter asked the mayor-elect whether he still viewed the president as a fascist.
"That's OK. You can just say it. That's easier... It's easier than explaining it. I don't mind," Trump interjected.
The interaction quickly went viral online, with many noting the unexpected camaraderie between the two.
