The international giants are lining up to speak to the US president this week. During the UN General Assembly today, Tuesday, he will meet French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
Then the meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping awaits on Wednesday and Thursday.
But the first thing Donald Trump did when he returned to his hometown on Monday was to head to Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence on Manhattan's Upper East Side, to meet for the third time with New York's Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The two had almost nothing but praise for each other afterwards. In the American media, this is called "the most unexpected bromance in history".
Just the fact that a sitting president visits the city's mayor is considered unique. That hasn't happened since 1981, when Ronald Reagan met with then-Mayor Ed Koch.
Politically, the two are each other's archenemies. Mamdani has called the president a "fascist". And Trump and his supporters never miss an opportunity to vilify the mayor, calling him "a crazy communist" who will also introduce "Sharia law".
When he is not present that is. Because when they meet physically, the personal chemistry between the two seems to be absolutely excellent.
Trump is clearly impressed by Mamdani's political talent, perhaps also by his youth and good looks. Mamdani, for his part, has considered it tactically smart to refrain from criticizing the president in private, instead trying to achieve benefits for his city.
He has focused on the fact that Trump, the former real estate magnate, loves to build houses. Therefore, on Monday he once again brought up a huge construction project in the borough of Queens that he is trying to get started. It requires federal grants, and he claimed the conversation had brought the issue closer to a resolution.
The last time they were seen, Mamdani had with him a fake front page from the tabloid Daily News, with the headline "Trump to the city: Now we build!". It was a paraphrase of another classic front page â and the gesture was appreciated by Trump.
- I appreciate the president's interest in this. And we know that he is not only a leader of our country, but also a person who has built a lot of housing in our city.
After the meeting, Mamdani received critical questions from journalists who questioned his friendly attitude towards a political enemy. He responded by emphasizing his focus on "making life better for New Yorkers."
He also pointed out that he had raised issues where the two differed, such as the fact that hundreds of thousands of Haitians have lost their temporary shelter and are now threatened with deportation. But New York needs the Haitians, who work in healthcare, the restaurant industry and many other industries, the mayor said.
- The mayor feels a lot for them, said Trump. And he addressed that issue.
He then followed up with praise for Mamdani and how he has taken care of the Gracie Mansion residence, which he called "a special place":
- I have seen it under many different mayors, some of them good and others less good. So hopefully you'll be one of the greats. I think I will be able to say that, and you are off to a good start.
