Mamdani jokes about 'unexpected bromance' with Trump on Kimmel, says they agree on love of New York

US President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani [Getty Images]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, once described as one of Donald Trump's fiercest political rivals, appeared on a late-night talk show Monday to address the unlikely "bromance" developing between him and the president.

Appearing on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Monday night, Mamdani said he and Trump disagree on many things but have found common ground on one: their love of New York City. "There's just one thing we agree on — this city, and how much we love this city," he said, according to the New York Post and Variety.

He said that from their first meeting in November, he had focused on making their encounters about New Yorkers rather than politics. "Whether it was at the White House or Gracie Mansion, we talked about things that would make life easier for New Yorkers," he said.

Mamdani is widely regarded as a radical progressive democratic socialist — a political orientation that is in effect the polar opposite of Trump's.

Against that backdrop, the two men's unexpectedly warm relationship has drawn considerable attention.

They first met at the White House last November, then again in February, and met a third time this month. At their Sept. 21 meeting, held at Mamdani's invitation, Trump praised the mayor, saying, "You're going to be a great mayor — you have good potential."

Mamdani said he occasionally texts Trump to discuss city matters, including the Sunnyside Yards redevelopment project. When Kimmel cheekily asked him to take a selfie together and send it to the president, Mamdani effectively declined. "Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing policy more," he said.

Kimmel is one of Trump's most prominent critics. Last year he drew the president's ire over remarks referencing Charlie Kirk, and earlier this year his show faced cancellation threats after he made a "widow joke" about first lady Melania Trump.

Republican candidates left in an awkward spot

Meanwhile, the Trump-Mamdani bromance has left Republican candidates in New York in an uncomfortable position.

According to Politico, Republican candidates running in New York state ahead of the November midterm elections had been leaning on a strategy of highlighting Mamdani's anti-Israel stance and socialist leanings.

The goal was to convince voters that the Democratic Party had drifted too far to the left.

But Trump's remark that Mamdani has "good potential" can in effect be read as the direct opposite of what those Republican candidates have been arguing.

Within the party, some say Trump's comments have increased the burden on Republican candidates in competitive New York districts. An anonymous Republican official said Trump's praise of Mamdani was "very bad for Blakeman," referring to the party's gubernatorial candidate.

Blakeman, however, offered his own view. "The president is the highest officeholder in the country, and the mayor is also a public official," he said. "It's only natural that the two of them talk."

yul@heraldcorp.com