Zohran Mamdani’s White House Visit Takes an Unexpected Turn as Trump Shows Him a “UFC at the White House” Book
Donald Trump invited New York City’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, to the White House — and now the 34-year-old is revealing one unusual item the former president showed him during his visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
It’s no secret that Mamdani was far from Trump’s preferred candidate in the New York City mayoral race. Ahead of the election, Trump openly threatened to reduce federal funding to his former home city if Mamdani won.
“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, but Mamdani is not!” Trump warned.
He doubled down, calling Mamdani a “Communist Candidate,” adding that if Mamdani became mayor, it was “highly unlikely” he would approve federal funds beyond the legal minimum. Trump insisted the city would have “ZERO chance of success, or even survival,” under Mamdani, calling it a “Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster” should he win.
The Trump–Mamdani White House Meeting
In a June appearance on Fox News, Trump said he found a Mamdani victory “inconceivable,” describing him as “a pure communist.”
“Let’s say this — if he does get in, I’m going to be president, and he’s going to have to do the right thing, or they’re not getting any money,” Trump said.
When Mamdani secured the win, he addressed Trump directly in his victory speech: “I know you’re watching — turn the volume up.”
Even so, Mamdani was welcomed to the White House last week. Many expected the meeting to heighten tensions over New York City’s future — but instead, the encounter was unexpectedly cordial.
“We agreed a lot more than I would have thought,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he stood alongside Mamdani.
Mamdani told NBC: “It was a conversation where we spoke about the need to deliver on this agenda. We weren’t shy about our disagreements or the politics that got us here, but we also focused on what it would mean to actually deliver.”
The “Strangest” Object Trump Showed Him
Now back on the East Coast as he prepares to be sworn in as mayor, Mamdani is reflecting on his first-ever visit to the White House — and the surprising moments inside.
Appearing on the November 25 episode of The Adam Friedland Show, Mamdani was asked what the oddest thing Trump showed him was.
“What was the weirdest thing he showed you?” host Adam Friedland asked, according to the New York Post. “He had to have shown you something — one thing weird.”
Mamdani explained that Trump gave him a tour of the Cabinet Room, pointing out portraits of past presidents.
“The FDR was beautiful,” Mamdani said of the Franklin D. Roosevelt portrait. “We talked about FDR for a little bit.”
But the most peculiar item was waiting for him right outside the Oval Office.
“In front of me are all these different coffee table books, and one of them is UFC at the White House,” Mamdani said.
Friedland responded, “Oh yeah, he’s bringing it there, right?” Mamdani confirmed, saying he flipped through the book — which featured illustrations of what a full UFC octagon setup would look like on the White House South Lawn.
This June, the UFC is scheduled to host an event on the White House grounds, expecting about 5,000 spectators. According to Sports Business Journal, the organization has agreed to spend $700,000 to replace the lawn afterward.
Do you think Zohran Mamdani will make a strong Mayor of New York City? Share your thoughts in the Facebook comments!