Zohran Mamdani Reveals Why He Texts Trump From "Time To Time"

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday spoke about his 'friendship' with US President Donald Trump during a special Big Apple broadcast of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

During the show, Kimmel asked Mamdani about his "very unexpected" relationship with Trump after the two leaders met last week at Gracie Mansion, the mayor's residence.

The TV host said that the relationship between them "seems to be a very friendly relationship".

The unusual visit, marked by bonhomie, came as a surprise because Mamdani is a Democratic Socialist, while Trump has made attacks on socialists a running theme of his campaign for Republican candidates in the midterm elections. Moreover, this was the first time in 44 years a president visited the mayor at his residence.

After the meeting, Trump praised Mamdani and said that he was "off to a good start" and was "going to be a great" mayor.

During the show, Kimmel asked, "Did you guys hit it off immediately or is it something that you really went into thinking, 'OK, I need to have a relationship with the president of the United States, and I think the best way to do it is to charm him.' How did you do that, and can you help me?"

Mamdani dismissed the assumptions and said, "Sorry, brother. The president and I have many disagreements."

He then went on to say that they speak about how much they love New York City and that he was conscious about keeping the topic of the meeting to New Yorkers and not themselves.

When Kimmel probed further and asked whether they text each other, Mamdani responded by saying that they do, "from time to time".

"From time to time we're in communication, and it's about Sunnyside Yard, and it's about how we can deliver for the city," Mamdani said.

After that, Kimmel asked Mamdani to text Trump "a selfie of us right now."

But, Mamdani shut down the host and said, "Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing more."

Although Trump said that Mamdani will be a "great" mayor, the relationship between Kimmel and Trump is an aggressive, long-running public feud characterised by late-night mockery, social media attacks, and political retaliation.