President Donald Trump and New York City's Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani cracked jokes during a surprisingly cordial meeting in the Oval Office on Friday.

Mamdani arrived at the White House Friday afternoon for his highly anticipated meeting with Trump, leaving many to speculate if their interactions would be friendly or fiery. After the meeting, both politicians maintained that the meeting went well with a common focus on affordability, with Trump even slipping in a few jokes to lighten the mood.

'I met with a man who's a very rational person.'

Mamdani was confronted by a reporter about his previous characterizations of Trump as a "despot."

"I've been called much worse than a despot," Trump quipped. "So it's not that insulting. I think he'll change his mind after we get to working together."

Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images

Trump also interrupted Mamdani with a lighthearted comment on another occasion when Mamdani was pressed about calling the president a "fascist."

"That's OK, you can just say yes," Trump said, patting Mamdani on the shoulder. "That's easier than explaining. I don't mind."

Mamdani promptly agreed with Trump and refrained from elaborating on his past comments.

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Alongside the many moments where the two joked about contentious remarks they've made about each other, both Trump and Mamdani agreed on key issues like affordability and cost of living. Trump acknowledged that their solutions to these issues would likely be different, but he cordially praised Mamdani as a "rational person" who sincerely wants New York City to succeed.

"I met with a man who's a very rational person," Trump said. "I met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again."

"I'll be cheering for him."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump warns Mamdani ahead of high-stakes Oval Office meeting: 'He has to be careful'

President Donald Trump has offered a preview of his highly anticipated meeting with New York City's newly elected socialist mayor.

Trump's meeting with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (D) in the Oval Office Friday afternoon is proving to be one of the most highly anticipated sit-downs of his second term. Trump described Mamdani, a staunch progressive and outspoken critic of the president, as "a little bit different" but remained optimistic about the meeting.

'I give him a lot of credit.'

"He's got a different philosophy," Trump told Brian Kilmeade Friday. "He's a little bit different."

One of the focal points of Mamdani's campaign was affordability, an issue that has also been a pillar of Trump's administration. Although their respective solutions to address affordability are at odds, Trump maintained that the two New Yorkers are ultimately "looking for the same thing."

Photo by BG048/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

"I give him a lot of credit for the run. He did a successful run, and we all know that runs are not easy," Trump said. "But I think we'll get along fine. Look, we're looking for the same thing. We want to make New York strong."

Since his decisive victory in early November, Mamdani has continued to rail against Trump and his administration. During his victory speech, Mamdani infamously told Trump to "turn the volume up." In response, Trump issued Mamdani a warning but commended his campaign nonetheless.

Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

"Well, I was hitting him a little hard too, in all fairness," Trump said. "It's hard to be totally friendly to the opponent, you know. ... He had some interesting opponents. But he ran a good race. I don't know exactly what he means by 'turn the volume up' because 'turn the volume up,' he has to be careful when he says that to me."

"I think it's going to be quite civil. You'll find out."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

With Trump's blessing, House approves resolution to release the Epstein files: 'We have nothing to hide'

After months of pushback, the House passed a resolution to release the highly anticipated Epstein files.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna of California co-authored the resolution to release the Epstein files and forced the House vote Tuesday using a discharge petition. Lawmakers forced the floor vote after the petition secured 218 signatories last week, including Republican Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Massie.

'Of course we're for maximum transparency.'

Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana was the lone no vote.

Although only four Republicans signed onto the petition, initially bucking their party, President Donald Trump changed course and encouraged rank-and-file GOP members to vote in favor of the resolution. Republican leadership later followed suit, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) confirming Tuesday that he would vote in favor of the resolution.

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

"As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat 'Shutdown,'" Trump said in a Truth Social Post Sunday.

Johnson echoed Trump's message for transparency but mentioned several "dangers" in the current resolution he hopes will be amended in the Senate, including concerns for victims' privacy and inadequate handling of child sexual abuse materials.

"There's a handful of Republicans, Judiciary Committee members, and a few others who are really struggling, as I have been, about whether or not they can even vote yes today because of this," Johnson said during a presser Tuesday. "Because we don't have an absolute guarantee that this will be fixed in the Senate."

Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Despite these concerns, Johnson urged the conference to "vote their conscience."

"Having now forced the vote, none of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency," Johnson said. "So the only intellectually consistent position to have right now ... is to allow for everyone to vote their conscience and to go on record to say, 'Of course we're for maximum transparency.'"

The resolution is now headed to the Senate. If it passes, Trump confirmed that he would sign the resolution into law.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

'Temporary crumbs': Out-of-touch Democrat gives stunning rebuke of Trump's 'No Tax on Tips' policy

Democrats are once again taking aim at President Donald Trump's policies, but this time they are aiming toward one of his most popular campaign promises.

Trump debuted his "No Tax on Tips" policy on the 2024 campaign trail, which quickly earned the support of the majority of Americans irrespective of their political affiliation. The policy later made its way into Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Congress passed along party lines in July.

'Nevadans know who put more money back in their pockets, and it wasn’t the Democrat frauds.'

Although Trump's landmark legislation was rebuked by Democrats, some singled out the No Tax on Tips provision as a positive policy. Despite the bipartisan support, other Democrats continue to reject even this popular policy.

One Democratic operative offered a particularly tone-deaf criticism, calling the policy mere "crumbs."

Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

"D.C. Republicans are giving temporary crumbs to working families," Lindsay Reilly, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said of the provision, according to Politico. "Meanwhile, millions of families are at risk of losing their health care, hundreds of hospitals could close, and countless Americans could lose their jobs — all to pay for permanent tax cuts for billionaires.”

Not all Democrats share Reilly's sentiments. Some Democrats actually support the idea of minimizing taxes on tips or even getting rid of them altogether. Rep. Steven Horsford (D) of Nevada — a state where many workers depend on tips — went so far as to create his own version of the legislation to address tax on tips, saying that "the Republicans got their bill wrong from the beginning."

Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Because some "out-of-touch" Democrats like Horsford have tried to reclaim the idea of eliminating tax on tips, the National Republican Congressional Committee argued that effort is an indicator of the policy's popularity.

“Nevadans know who put more money back in their pockets, and it wasn’t the Democrat frauds who are trying to claim credit,” Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the NRCC, told Politico. “Out-of-touch Democrats Steven Horsford, Dina Titus, and Susie Lee can’t lie their way out of this one.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Kennedy Heir and House Candidate Jack Schlossberg Performed Nazi Salute in Since-Deleted Swipe at Elon Musk

Jack Schlossberg, a Kennedy family scion and Democratic primary candidate for New York’s 12th Congressional District, performed a Nazi salute in a since-deleted Instagram video reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.

The post Kennedy Heir and House Candidate Jack Schlossberg Performed Nazi Salute in Since-Deleted Swipe at Elon Musk appeared first on .

ROOKE: If Someone’s In Trump’s Ear With Latest Idiotic Ideas, They Need To Be Kicked Out Of White House

'Is 2024 Trump still in the room with us?'

'Pathetic' Senate Democrats cave, advancing key shutdown vote and prompting intraparty uproar: 'It’s a surrender'

Over a month into the record-breaking shutdown, enough Senate Democrats finally caved to advance a key vote, sparking outrage within the party.

Eight Senate Democrats broke from their party late Sunday night to break the filibuster in a 60-40 vote, advancing key legislation and putting the government back on track to reopen after a record 41-day stalemate. The Senate is expected to formally pass the legislation Monday, when the continuing resolution will be punted back to the House.

'America deserves better.'

Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire joined Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Angus King (I) of Maine, and Catherine Cortez Masto, who have consistently voted to reopen the government for the last six weeks. Notably, only Shaheen and Durbin are up for re-election in 2026, and both are retiring.

Although these other rogue Democrats are electorally safe for the next several years, many of their colleagues have ridiculed them for bucking the party and cutting a deal with Republicans.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

After 15 failed votes to reopen the government, Democrats folded and finally came to the negotiating table. Party negotiators walked away with a continuing resolution to fund the government through January 30 featuring a reversal on reduction-in-force notices issued after October 1 and also barring future RIFs from being issued through the duration of the CR.

While Republicans made concessions on RIFs, Democrats ultimately were unable to push through any meaningful policy goals and fell short on their call to extend Obamacare subsidies. In response, high-profile Democrats tore into their Senate colleagues for caving, calling it a "surrender."

"Pathetic," California Gov. Gavin Newsom's press office said in a post on X. "This isn’t a deal. It’s a surrender. Don’t bend the knee!"

"America deserves better," Newsom added in another post on X.

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

It's not just rumored presidential hopefuls who took a stand against their Democrat Senate allies. Many of the eight defectors' colleagues came out against their vote, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

"There's no way to sugarcoat what happened tonight," Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said in a post on X. "And my fear is that Trump gets stronger, not weaker, because of this acquiescence. I'm angry — like you. But I choose to keep fighting."

"To my mind, this was a very, very bad vote," independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said in a post on X.

"Just on Tuesday, we had an election, all over this country. And what the election showed is that the American people want us to stand up to Trumpism. ... That is what the American people wanted. But tonight, that is not what happened."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump cracks jokes with Mamdani in cordial Oval Office meeting: 'I've been called much worse'

Trump warns Mamdani ahead of high-stakes Oval Office meeting: 'He has to be careful'

With Trump's blessing, House approves resolution to release the Epstein files: 'We have nothing to hide'

'Temporary crumbs': Out-of-touch Democrat gives stunning rebuke of Trump's 'No Tax on Tips' policy

Kennedy Heir and House Candidate Jack Schlossberg Performed Nazi Salute in Since-Deleted Swipe at Elon Musk

Trump Should Learn From J.D. Vance When It Comes To Talking About Prices And Affordability

'Pathetic' Senate Democrats cave, advancing key shutdown vote and prompting intraparty uproar: 'It’s a surrender'

Diesel under attack: EPA targets engines that power America

Leftist heresy: This Bible pitch sounds holy — until you spot the socialist trick

Glenn Beck corners Cracker Barrel CEO: Did DEI influence the rebrand? — Her surprising answer

'Something has gone terribly wrong': Marriage is in 'disastrous' decline — perhaps because of women

Brand-new Pew Research poll shows ALARMING trend among high school senior girls

We’ll keep you informed with top stories for conservatives who want to become informed decision makers.