Why Trump Pulled his Punches with Mamdani

Plus a discussion of media bubbles, primary schedules, and Democratic psychology

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Dan P

What did you make of the Mamdani/Trump meeting in the Oval Office today?

Answer

I figured folks would want a take on the Mamdani–Trump meeting today, and since no one asked a question about it, I decided to ask it myself (authorial privilege).

Everyone expected this to be a fireworks-filled meeting — essentially a domestic version of the Trump–Zelensky showdown earlier this year. That made sense given the right-wing paranoia around Mamdani, Trump’s repeated attacks on the mayor-elect, and Mamdani’s own criticisms of Trump on election night.

But the meeting was the opposite of what people anticipated. When the press entered, Trump praised Mamdani and refused to take the bait when a New York Post reporter tried to goad him.

Mamdani, for his part, deliberately passed up several chances to escalate. Here’s just one example of the meeting's tone.

So what happened? Why did Trump hold back? Why didn’t Mamdani go after him?