The president’s Oval Office meeting with New York’s incoming leader is not open to the press.
Trump, 79, frequently invites reporters into the Oval Office for a front-seat view as he sits down with U.S. and world leaders, but, according to his schedule, the media was barred from his first meeting with Mamdani, the Democratic socialist 45 years his junior.
Their first face-to-face comes after Trump lobbed a series of nasty attacks on the political upstart who mounted an underdog campaign and went on to win the race to lead the largest city in the U.S.
Trump has blasted Mamdani as a “communist lunatic” and “not very smart.” He falsely accused him of being in the country illegally, threatened to arrest him, and warned that he would cut off money to New York if he won.
Honestly, I think this is the best option. Nothing good would have come of their conversation being in public.
He keeps trying to pass himself off as a smart man, and there’s just no way to keep up that act if you’ve got an actually smart man talking to you.
Why not? Mamdani would absolutely smoke him
I just don’t think that’s the purpose of them talking. It’s not meant to be a public fight between 2 people, which is what it would turn into.
I imagine Trump will possibly be more receptive to Mamdani’s comments in that private than in public.
In what way? Because I hate to remind you but Trump is a literal fascist.
In the same way that the 50 year mortgage guy got Trump on board despite all his aides and everyone else hating it. Hes not a hard man to trick.
Trump is a (self-proclaimed) billionaire; of course he’s not going to object to more exploitation of the working class. It’s a whole different conversation when it’s something that will hurt the owner class.
I guess I have no expectations for Trump to take anything positive away from this meeting.
But think in private he’s more likely to let Mamdani talk. In public it would just be a pissing contest for him.
Nah, trump couldn’t even open his mouth without pissing off his base. Any footage would call attention to his base that he let the “devil” in.
Yep yep. Putting a reality show brained narcissist in front of cameras is only a good idea if you want footage of a crashout
You’re right, there are secret meetings between powerful individuals that should remain hidden from public knowledge
Not every conversation needs to be public.
Not every conversation, but every conversation between powerful individuals.
And maybe that’s an impractical standard, but the spirit of it is more liberating than letting corruption fester in the darkness.
It is an impractical standard. While I understand where you’re coming from, I think sometimes you need to allow people an opportunity to talk without every word being judged.
If the meeting is public, then it will never be a true conversation. It will be 2 people giving prepared statements in the form of a conversation.