"Like all autocrats, Donald Trump is surrounded by cronies who yearn for him to bestow a smile on them. Aspiring heirs such as JD Vance, a whole crew of White House underlings, sycophants such as Laura Loomer, and even Trump's own children (especially his sons) pathetically crave the smallest sign of fatherly approval. All courtiers live for a king's love."
"So it must have cut deep when, on Friday, Trump lavished his attention and affection not on any of those toadies but on a man they have spent months demonizing: New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani is a democratic socialist who has denounced Trump as a "despot" and "fascist" while being lambasted by the president as a "communist." Trump has even threatened to deport Mamdani. Yet when the two men met at White House, the scene was a veritable love-in."
"The photo of Trump sitting in the Oval Office and gazing up at Mamdani with a big, toothy grin has already achieved iconic status. And the image really does tell the story of the encounter. Trump began the press conference by effusively congratulating Mamdani on his "incredible" campaign, and predicted he'll be "a really great mayor." Trump added, "The better he does, the happier I am. There is no difference in party. There is no difference in anything, and we're going to be helping him to make everybody's dream come true.""
Donald Trump unexpectedly lavished praise on New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani during a White House meeting, calling his campaign "incredible" and predicting he will be "a really great mayor." Mamdani, a democratic socialist who has labeled Trump a "despot" and "fascist," received effusive comments and promises of help from Trump. The Oval Office photo of Trump smiling at Mamdani circulated widely and provoked furious reactions from right-wing allies, including Islamophobic attacks and accusations of jealousy. The encounter temporarily granted Mamdani political breathing room, but underlying tensions and hostility from Trump's supporters remain unresolved.
Read at The Nation
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