By Gabe WhisnantShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberPresident Donald Trump on Friday laughed off New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s past descriptions of him as a “despot” and a “fascist,” turning what could have been a tense moment into a brief display of banter during their much-anticipated Oval Office meeting.
When a reporter pressed Mamdani about calling Trump a despot, the president interjected with a grin:
“I’ve been called much worse than a despot. So it’s not that insulting.”
Moments later, as Mamdani began explaining their political differences after previously referring to Trump as a fascist, Trump cut in again, smiling and patting him on the arm: “That’s OK, you can just say it — I don’t mind.”
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