Trump’s Meeting with Mamdani: A Presidential Manner

Former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone offered his analysis of President Donald Trump’s face-to-face meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, describing the encounter as far more cordial than many observers anticipated.
Stone told Newsmax on Saturday that Mamdani may have arrived at the White House seeking a confrontation, but Trump approached the meeting in a “presidential” manner. Stone said both men “acted responsibly,” characterizing the meeting as an introductory session rather than a substantive policy clash. “Trump wasn’t speaking as a candidate,” Stone said during an appearance on “Saturday Report.”
Stone suggested Mamdani may have been surprised by Trump’s tone, adding that the president “can be amazingly charming” and is willing to engage with anyone “if it leads to the betterment of the American people.” The conversation shifted to a reporter’s question about whether Trump would intervene to prevent Mamdani from attempting to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York City, a proposal Mamdani has publicly supported.
Trump declined to discuss specifics, saying the issue had not come up in the meeting. Stone dismissed the idea outright, noting that the mayor-elect has “no legal authority” to detain a foreign leader voicing a broader concern about rising antisemitic demonstrations in New York, referencing recent protests outside a Manhattan synagogue.