Washington, Nov. 24 -- New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday for their first in-person interaction, an encounter that remained cordial despite Mamdani refusing to retract his earlier criticism of the President.

In an appearance on NBC News' Meet the Press on Saturday, Mamdani said he still considers Trump a "fascist" and a "despot", even though both leaders described their Friday meeting as "productive".

The sitting US President adopted a friendlier approach during the interaction, telling reporters he would be "cheering" for the incoming mayor. Mamdani said their conversation was constructive and largely centred on affordability challenges in the city.

Reaffirming his earli...