NEW YORK (VINnews) – President Donald Trump’s unusually warm reception of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion has triggered criticism from some of Trump’s strongest supporters and conservative commentators, who questioned why the president was praising a politician he has repeatedly attacked.

Trump met with Mamdani for about an hour Monday at the mayor’s official residence during the president’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting marked their third in-person encounter and continued an unexpectedly cordial relationship between the two politicians despite their major political differences.

Standing beside Mamdani after the meeting, Trump recalled his previous visits to Gracie Mansion and said he hoped Mamdani would become a “great” mayor.

“Hopefully you’re going to be a great one,” Trump said. “And you’re off to a start.” He also said Mamdani had “great potential.”

The comments immediately drew criticism from parts of Trump’s political base.

Laura Loomer, a prominent Trump supporter, wrote on X that she was “pissed off” over the meeting. She questioned why people she considers opponents of the MAGA movement were being “rewarded” after Trump met with Mamdani.

How does Mamdani, an open Islamic communist who wants to force Americans to pay for illegal aliens to have free healthcare, wants to abolish ICE, wants to abolish the police, and wants to establish Sharia Law in America have the “potential” to be a “great mayor”?

What’s the… https://t.co/CIzr9JWgyu

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) September 21, 2026

New York radio host Sid Rosenberg also criticized the president. Rosenberg wrote that he loves Trump but objected to the meeting with Mamdani, arguing that it hurt Republicans trying to win the midterms. He also criticized the fact that the meeting took place on Yom Kippur.

Sid Rosenberg questions President Trump’s warm meeting with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, asking what Mamdani has done to earn the president’s praise and saying he wants answers about their relationship. Trump and Mamdani met at Gracie Mansion Monday and discussed housing and… pic.twitter.com/APoS6DhFXB

— TalkRadio 77 WABC (@77WABCradio) September 22, 2026

Conservative commentator John Cardillo questioned why Trump felt the need to compliment Mamdani.

“Why does he feel the need to compliment a radical Muslim communist?” Cardillo wrote on X. “The guy insults allies wholesale, while praising his enemies.” Cardillo rejected the argument that the meeting could simply be explained as part of Trump’s deal-making approach, adding, “I’d rather he stand for something.”

Jewish activist and conservative commentator Lizzy Savetsky also objected to the encounter, particularly Trump’s decision to visit Mamdani at Gracie Mansion.

“I’m not a fan of this at all,” Savetsky wrote on X. She questioned why “the most powerful man in the world” would go to a mayor’s home, particularly one whose views she described as “fundamentally anti-American.” She argued that Mamdani should instead have been invited to Trump Tower to meet the president.

Conservative commentator Breanna Morello highlighted the contrast between Trump’s earlier rhetoric and his latest comments.

“President Trump calls Zohran Mamdani a communist,” Morello wrote on X. “Now Trump tells Mamdani to his face he has ‘great potential.’”

Conservative commentator Mark Levin took an even harder line against Mamdani. “Just to be clear: Mamdani is the enemy within. Period,” Levin wrote on X.

Levin accused Mamdani of “destroying New York” and described members of his administration as “terror-supporting, America-hating activists.” Levin also called Mamdani a “bigot and antisemite” and said his goal, in Levin’s view, was to “destroy our country.”

Levin argued that Mamdani and his Democratic Socialists of America allies should be “roundly denounced” and “defeated at every turn” as Republicans prepare for the midterm elections.

Other conservative and political commentators questioned the unusual relationship without necessarily identifying themselves with the MAGA movement.

Meghan McCain wrote on X: “Why do Trump and Mamdani have a bromance? What purpose does this serve for either of them?”

Ed Krassenstein mocked the interaction, posting a video of Trump and Mamdani and writing: “Watch Trump flirt with Mayor Mamdani. He obviously has a man-crush on him. There is no denying that.”

The reaction also extended into Republican political circles.

NBC News reporter Dasha Burns wrote on X that the Trump-Mamdani relationship was continuing at an “inconvenient time for Republicans.” Burns said her phone was “blowing up with GOP operatives” during the two men’s friendly appearance.

One New York Republican operative told Burns, “It’s a total nightmare,” while another said, “We need a course correction right now on the narrative of the midterms and we need to put everyone on the same page.”

The comments come as Republicans have sought to make Mamdani and democratic socialism a major issue in the 2026 midterm elections. Trump himself has previously called Mamdani a communist and attacked his political agenda. The Washington Post noted that the president has used Mamdani as an example of the left-wing politics he has warned his supporters about, making Monday’s friendly encounter particularly notable.

Yet Trump and Mamdani have continued to find areas where they can work together. During Monday’s meeting, they discussed a proposal to build as many as 12,000 homes and create 30,000 jobs at Sunnyside Yard in Queens. Mamdani said he would work with anyone, regardless of party, who has the power and willingness to improve life for New Yorkers.

Trump similarly emphasized cooperation, saying he wanted what was good for New York and the country.

The friendly encounter has therefore created an unusual contrast within Republican politics: while Trump publicly praised Mamdani and discussed potential cooperation with him, several Trump supporters and conservative commentators publicly questioned the president’s approach and its implications for the Republican Party’s broader political message.