A tense moment unfolded in Washington when Zohran Mamdani was unexpectedly pressed by a reporter about why he chose to fly to D.C. instead of using a “greener” alternative like train travel. The pointed question briefly put Mamdani on the defensive as he began explaining his schedule and constraints. Before the exchange grew sharper, President Donald Trump stepped in, redirecting the conversation and signaling support for Mamdani.
00:03I'll use every form of transit, and I want to make sure that they're all affordable in New York City,
00:07and that's why making buses fast and free is a central piece of work.
00:10There is a bus that goes...
00:11I know, but if he flew, that's a lot quicker, too.
00:14You know, I mean, he's working very hard.
00:17I tell you, the press has eaten this thing up.
00:20You know, I've had a lot of meetings with the heads of major countries.
00:24Nobody cared.
00:25Question for you, but a very quick one for the mayor.
00:27Why did you fly here? Aren't trains greener?
00:31I'll use every form of transit, and I want to make sure that they're all affordable in New York City,
00:35and that's why making buses fast and free is a central piece of work.
00:38There is a bus that goes...
00:39I know, but if he flew, that's a lot quicker, too.
00:41You know, I mean, he's working very hard.
00:44For him to be, that's a very long drive. I'll stick up for you.
00:49You know, the plane takes you 30 minutes, and driving takes you a long time.
00:53Mr. President, you say you love New York City.
00:54Mr. Maundani, does New York City love President Trump?
00:57New York City loves a future that is affordable,
00:59and I can tell you that there were more New Yorkers who voted for President Trump
01:02in the most recent presidential election because of that focus on cost of living,
01:07and I'm looking forward to working together to deliver on that affordability agenda.
01:10I got a lot of votes.
01:11One more. Go ahead. One or two more. Go ahead.
01:15I tell you, the press has eaten this thing up.
01:18You know, I've had a lot of meetings with the heads of major countries.
01:22Nobody cared.
01:23This meeting that you people have gone...
01:25You know, outside, you have hundreds of people waiting.
01:28This is just a small little group.
01:30For some reason, the press has found this to be a very interesting meeting.
01:35The biggest people in the world, they come over from countries.
01:38Nobody cares.
01:39But they did care about this meeting, and it was a great meeting.
01:42Go ahead.
01:42Yeah, Mr. President, I was going to ask you exactly that.
01:44Why do you think there's so much more, you know, so much excitement around this city in some form?
01:48Because I think he's different.
01:51All right? I think he's different.
01:52And that can be in a very positive way.
01:54But I think he's different than, you know, your typical guy.
01:56Runs, wins, becomes mayor maybe, and nothing exciting.
02:01Because he has a chance to really do something great for New York.
02:03New York is at a very critical point.
02:07And he does need the help of the federal government to really succeed.
02:10And we're going to be helping him.
02:12But he's different than, you know, your average candidate.
02:16He came out of nowhere.
02:17I said, he has a great campaign manager standing over there.
02:20He came out of nowhere.
02:23What, did you start off at one or two?
02:25I watched.
02:26I said, who is this guy?
02:27He was at one.
02:29Then he was at three.
02:30Then he was at five.
02:31Then he was at nine.
02:33Then he went up to 17.
02:34I said, hmm, that's got a little bit of trust there, right?
02:37And then all of a sudden he wins a primary that nobody expected he was going to win.
02:41It's a great, a great tribute.
02:45I mean, it's an amazing thing that he did.
02:47I'll just add one thing to what the president said.
02:52One thing I also appreciated is in our meeting to appreciate a portrait of FDR and the incredible work that was done with the New Deal and also in thinking about what it can look like when the federal government and New York City government work together to deliver on affordability and can be transformative.
03:10You know, we have a great portrait of FDR that I found in the vaults that was missing for years.
03:16I found it and I put it up.
03:18He's a Democrat to the best of my knowledge.
03:21He's a Democrat.
03:22And when the mayor saw that portrait, he said, sir, do you mind if I have a picture taken by that?
03:26It's an amazing portrait.
03:28I hope the picture comes out good.
03:29But it's an amazing portrait in the cabinet room.
03:32So he's a big fan of the New Deal, I guess, and of FDR.
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