New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, arrived in Washington D.C. to meet with President Donald Trump. The meeting, scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, marked the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders. Trump described the interaction as “quite civil,” noting, “I was hitting him a little hard, too, in all fairness.” He elaborated on Mamdani’s request to “turn the volume up,” stating, “he has to be careful when he says that to me.”

Mamdani, who won the mayoral election by over 50% of the vote, stated his team sought the meeting to improve affordability for New York City’s eight million residents. He told reporters, “I have many disagreements with the president, and I believe that we should be relentless and pursue all avenues and meetings that could make our city affordable for every single New Yorker.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized Mamdani’s visit, labeling him a “communist” and stating, “a communist is coming to the White House.” Trump previously warned of economic disaster if Mamdani won, saying, “It can only get worse with a Communist at the helm. I don’t want to send, as president, good money after bad.”

The House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning socialism, with Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar’s bill advancing in a bipartisan 285-98 vote. All “no” votes came from Democrats, including Janelle Bynum and Deborah Ross, who voted “present.”