Joy Behar didn’t waste time easing into it. Just minutes after welcoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani onto The View, she zeroed in on the question viewers were already thinking about — his increasingly cordial relationship with President Donald Trump.
“And the one who is really taken with you is Trump,” Behar said, drawing laughter from the panel. According to OK! Magazine, she reminded Mamdani that he had once called Trump a fascist to his face. “A dream I’ve always had,” she added.
The tone stayed playful as Behar leaned into reports that Trump and Mamdani have been texting privately. “And now I understand you’re texting each other,” she said. “Can I see the texts?”
Mamdani laughed and shrugged. “I don’t have my phone with me.”
Trump now doing a Truth Social photo-dump of his meeting with Zohran Mamdani, including their pics with the FDR painting that Mamdani liked pic.twitter.com/4WBLDqkEzx
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) November 21, 2025
“Very, very convenient,” Behar shot back, as the audience laughed along.
It was a light moment, but one rooted in real intrigue. Mamdani, a democratic socialist who once traded insults with Trump on the campaign trail, has acknowledged that the two have stayed in touch since meeting at the White House shortly after his election as mayor.
The texting began after the pair exchanged numbers during that November meeting. Two sources familiar with their conversations said the back-and-forth has been more extensive than previously known, even as both sides have declined to comment publicly.
On The View, Behar joked that Mamdani’s approach to Trump looked different from that of other Democratic leaders. She compared it to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s confrontational style and suggested Mamdani may have opted for something more disarming.
“I expect to be helping him, not hurting him. A big help” — Trump is totally charmed by Mamdani pic.twitter.com/Mp0gQ5cv7y
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 21, 2025
“Maybe yours is going to work,” Behar said, pointing to Trump’s fondness for flattery. “Is that your intention?”
Mamdani pushed back gently. “My intention is about being honest and direct with the president,” he said.
He acknowledged their sharp disagreements but emphasized a shared attachment to New York City. “Every single policy that the federal administration puts forward has impacts on this city,” Mamdani said, explaining that his focus is affordability and keeping New Yorkers from being pushed out.
That theme came up again when Behar teased him about Trump’s failed Nobel Peace Prize bid. “Do you have an award for Trump?” she asked.
“I don’t have an award,” Mamdani replied, smiling. “What I will say though is that I’m going to exhaust every possibility.”
“When New Yorkers elect a mayor,” he continued, “they’re looking for someone who’s going to turn over every leaf to see what they can do for the city. That’s what I’m going to do.”
Mamdani clashes with hosts on The View, defends progressive policies, condemns Trump, and calls for economic justice nationwide during interview. pic.twitter.com/vKCdxnarWt
— Salty Whaler (@VanHels37359867) January 22, 2026
The exchange reflected the unusual balance Mamdani has tried to strike since taking office — publicly critical, privately pragmatic. After months of mutual insults during the campaign, the two appeared unexpectedly friendly during their first Oval Office meeting, where Trump complimented Mamdani’s looks and reminisced about New York neighborhoods.
That goodwill hasn’t erased their differences. Mamdani has said he later called Trump to criticize U.S. strikes in Venezuela, a move Trump said surprised him. Still, Mamdani has framed those conversations as part of a relationship built on blunt honesty rather than performance.
As the segment wrapped, Behar wished Mamdani “good luck,” a line that landed somewhere between sincerity and mischief.
Sara Haines quickly jumped in to clarify the moment. “She also meant that,” she said sending the audience out laughing as Mamdani waved and smiled.
