Zohran Mamdani’s long-anticipated visit to the White House unfolded with little of the diplomatic caution usually expected from a mayor-elect meeting the president. The encounter, which capped several weeks of public back-and-forth, quickly shifted from pleasantries to sharp political declarations.
Standing alongside U.S. President Donald Trump after their discussion, Mamdani once again leveled his harshest charge at Israel, insisting that the country is carrying out “genocide in Gaza” and asserting that American taxpayers are underwriting those actions. He told reporters, “I shared with the president in our meeting about the concern that many New Yorkers have about wanting their tax dollars to go toward the benefit of New Yorkers and their ability to afford basic dignity. There’s a desperate need not only for the following of human rights but also the following through on the promises we’ve made New Yorkers. We’ve spoken about the Israeli government committing genocide and I’ve spoken about our government funding it.”
Trump allowed the comments to pass without a direct answer. When the mayor-elect was questioned about Trump’s ongoing diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Mamdani offered a restrained note of approval, saying, “I appreciate all efforts toward peace. We’re tired of seeing our tax dollars fund endless wars, and I also believe that we have to follow through on the international human rights, and I know that still today those are being violated, and that continues to be work that has to be done, no matter where we’re speaking of.”
The president was later pressed about Mamdani’s earlier warning that he would order the detention of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu if he were to visit New York. Trump brushed the matter aside with a short reply: “We did not discuss that.”
Mamdani’s team also attempted to clarify his stance on protests surrounding the recent Nefesh B’Nefesh gathering at a New York synagogue. His spokeswoman, Dora Pekec, said, “The Mayor-elect has discouraged the language used at last night’s protest and will continue to do so. He believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation, and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”
The exchange ended on an unexpectedly playful note when reporters lobbed a loaded question at Mamdani about whether Trump is a fascist. Trump interjected before Mamdani could reply, joking, “Just say yes, it’s easier.”
{Matzav.com}Marjorie Taylor Greene’s dramatic decision to leave Congress has sent shockwaves through Washington, punctuating a bitter split between the Georgia firebrand and President-elect Donald Trump. Her resignation, set for January 5, 2026, followed weeks of escalating clashes over the long-frozen Jeffrey Epstein files—an issue she had been publicly hammering as a test of political courage.
In her resignation letter, released online, Greene lamented the personal attacks she said she endured from the president-elect. “Standing up for American women who were [assaulted] at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” she wrote. Calling his criticism “hurtful,” she added that she would not remain in office as a “battered wife” trapped in a toxic dynamic.
Greene’s outrage over the Epstein documents had been growing for months. Although she once stood firmly in Trump’s corner—both on his America First messaging and his contested 2020 election claims—she turned sharply on him, accusing him of dragging his feet on releasing the files. Her comments intensified as she criticized his tariff approach, his handling of the cost-of-living crisis, and what she characterized as a reluctance to confront entrenched elite wrongdoing. She took her grievances to major broadcast outlets, casting her demands as a push for accountability long overdue.
Her record on Israel resurfaced as well amid the uproar, with critics revisiting her unsuccessful attempt to slash aid to Israel by arguing the funds should be steered toward paying down the national debt. She had also previously charged that Israel was using U.S. assistance for genocide—statements that repeatedly put her at odds with many in her own party.
Trump eventually answered forcefully. After campaigning beside her in Rome, Georgia, early in 2024, he turned to Truth Social to denounce her. He branded her a “traitor” and “wacky,” and wrote, “For some reason, primarily that I refused to return her never ending barrage of phone calls, Marjorie went BAD.” He also hinted he would back a challenger to unseat her in the next primary.
That public rupture seemed to speed up Trump’s shift on the Epstein controversy. Under growing pressure from Republicans who saw the files as a key test of transparency, he suddenly moved to advance legislation compelling the Justice Department to make the documents public within 30 days. What had once been a unifying mission for many in the MAGA movement turned into a stark demonstration of fractures within its ranks.
Appearing on ABC News after Greene’s announcement, Trump celebrated her exit from Congress, calling it “great news for the country.” Yet on social media he tacked on a softer message, writing, “Nevertheless, I will always appreciate Marjorie, and thank her for her service to our Country!” He also referenced advice he had given her about her weak polling numbers for hypothetical statewide races, despite Greene’s insistence that she had no interest in those positions.
Her departure now leaves Republicans with an even thinner margin in the House, adding tension to an already fragile majority. The seat she is vacating—Georgia’s strongly conservative 14th district—was one she had consistently dominated, but her exit introduces fresh uncertainty for the GOP as the 2026 midterms approach. In her farewell video, she spotlighted what she saw as her congressional achievements, ranging from border security efforts to battles against “woke” initiatives, and insisted her resignation reflected a refusal to compromise her principles rather than a political retreat.
{Matzav.com}
Hamas delivered a sharp message to American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, telling them the cease-fire in Gaza is now “over” and that its fighters are “ready to fight,” according to Al Arabiya, as cited by the Jerusalem Post. The declaration marked a sudden shift by the terror group and signaled a return to hostilities.
The warning surfaced just hours after an Israeli strike in Gaza killed Alaa Hadidi, Hamas’ senior figure responsible for the group’s weapons pipeline. Hamas denounced the operation, claiming it violated the US-supported cease-fire arrangement.
Israel defended the action, saying its forces were responding to an attack that had already breached the terms of the truce. According to the IDF, a Hamas terrorist crossed into the designated humanitarian zone and opened fire at Israeli troops, prompting the retaliatory strike.
Footage released on X showed the armed assailant wearing black clothing and driving across the military withdrawal line while “exploiting” the humanitarian corridor, Israeli officials said. The video depicted the gunman exiting the vehicle and firing a long-range weapon before being shot by Israeli soldiers and collapsing moments later.
By day’s end, the IDF reported that five Hamas members were eliminated in three separate strikes targeting operatives in Rafah and Northern Gaza. Among those killed was Abu Abdullah Al-Hudaydi, identified by Al Arabiya as the operations staff commander of Hamas’ military wing.
American officials indicated to the Times of Israel that the White House supported Israel’s latest actions, citing assessments that Hamas leadership cannot control its fighters within Gaza despite the cease-fire framework.
Amid the escalating tension, Hamas issued another warning, insisting Gaza “will not become another Lebanon,” a reference to what the group views as a long-running cease-fire that leaves one side constrained while the other acts freely.
{Matzav.com}
[Video below.] What was expected to be a tense and awkward introduction between President Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani turned into an unexpectedly warm White House moment, with Trump expressing confidence in the socialist politician’s ability to lead the nation’s largest city.
The meeting, held in the Oval Office with Mamdani standing beside the Resolute Desk, quickly turned into a scene of bonhomie. Trump repeatedly praised the incoming mayor, even resting a hand on his arm as he eased him through a barrage of tough press questions and offered remarkable predictions about New York’s future under Mamdani’s leadership.
“I think he wants to make it greater than ever before,” Trump told reporters. “And if he can, we’ll be out there cheering. I’ll be cheering for him.”
Their surprising display of unity followed a 45-minute private discussion focused heavily on the theme of affordability—Mamdani’s signature issue. Both men described their conversation as constructive, and Trump went so far as to say Mamdani “has a chance to really do something great for New York,” adding, “He’s different than your typical guy.”
While Mamdani steered clear of praising Trump personally, he acknowledged that Trump’s improved performance in New York City during the 2024 election stemmed from his emphasis on economic concerns, noting that voters were focused on “kitchen table issues.”
Mamdani spoke of his desire to prioritize delivering tangible improvements to New Yorkers rather than sparring publicly with the president. “I think both President Trump and I, we are very clear about our positions and our views, and what I really appreciate about the president is the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers,” he said.
Trump embraced the sentiment. “We have one thing in common. We want this city of ours that we love to do very well,” he said as they fielded questions together.
When reporters reminded Mamdani of his past descriptions of Trump as a “fascist” and a “despot,” Trump intervened playfully, sparing him from answering directly. “That’s OK, you can just say yes,” he quipped, patting Mamdani on the arm. He shrugged off the barbs himself. “I’ve been called much worse than a despot, so it’s not that insulting.”
Asked about accusations that Mamdani is a “jihadist,” Trump countered that he had just met “a very rational person.”
This was quite a reversal for Trump, who had once warned that New York would collapse if “my little Communist” Mamdani were elected. Now, he said he left their meeting “very confident” in the mayor-elect’s ability to succeed. “I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually, and some very liberal people,” he said.
Trump even appeared to take back earlier threats to dispatch the National Guard if Mamdani took office. “I expect to be helping him, not hurting him, a big help because I want New York City to be great,” he said, though he has previously suggested that federal funding could be endangered under Mamdani’s leadership.
The meeting came at Mamdani’s request, following a long-standing tradition of New York City’s incoming mayor meeting with the president. Before their policy discussion began, Trump gave the Astoria assemblyman a brief tour of the White House.
According to sources, the two then sat down with their chiefs of staff—Susie Wiles for Trump and Elle Bisgaard-Church for Mamdani—to hone in on issues related to affordability, including rent, utility costs, and grocery prices. Bisgaard-Church said the president “felt very interested in a kind of common-sense approach to reduce onerous burdens on the housing and development owners, actually,” describing that topic as one of their strongest zones of agreement.
A real-estate veteran himself, Trump echoed Mamdani’s campaign message that expanding the housing supply would help rein in rents. “Actually people would be shocked, but I want to see the same thing,” he said.
Mamdani, whose campaign emphasized his “freeze the rent” plan, had been criticized for lacking detail on how to increase housing stock—an issue that was now suddenly a point of accord between him and Trump.
Other topics included an impending Con Edison rate increase, with the president pressing the utility to bring costs down, and public safety. Trump lauded Mamdani’s choice to retain tough-on-crime NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “Maybe more than anything else, he wants to have a safe New York,” Trump said. “Ultimately, a safe New York is going to be a great New York. If you don’t have safe streets, it’s not going to be a success.”
The amicable session contrasted sharply with the months of public jabs the two had exchanged as political opposites who often used each other as foils on the campaign trail. Yet in the days leading up to their meeting, both signaled an interest in a calmer conversation, with Mamdani expressing hope they could “speak plainly” about affordability. Trump, during an appearance on “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” predicted, “I think it’s going to be quite civil. We’ll find out.”
The civility exceeded even that expectation. Trump not only handled some of the most pointed questions Mamdani faced but also commended his unlikely rise to the mayoralty.
When asked whether Mamdani planned to arrest Israel’s Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu if he set foot in New York City—a campaign remark that drew intense criticism—Trump declined to escalate. He said the topic didn’t come up, though the pair agreed on a desire for peace in the region. “He’s got views out there, but who knows maybe we’re going to see what works, or he’s going to change,” Trump said. “Also, we all change. I change a lot. Changed a lot from when I first came to office.”
Despite Trump’s generous praise, Mamdani didn’t reciprocate directly. He sidestepped a chance to endorse Trump’s Gaza ceasefire deal and instead spoke more broadly about voters’ frustrations with endless conflicts. “I appreciate all efforts towards peace and I shared with President Trump that when I spoke to Trump voters on Hillside Avenue – including one of whom was a pharmacist that spoke about how President Trump’s father actually went to that pharmacy not too far from Jamaica Estates – that people were tired of seeing our tax dollars fund endless wars,” he said.
The meeting’s friendly tone now raises expectations for Mamdani to deliver on his bold affordability promises, while also unexpectedly boosting his stature as a national Democratic figure.
Political observers across New York were stunned by the dynamic. “Trump should move Bushwick how much he loves Z now,” one Democratic operative joked. Another said, “Unbelievably funny outcome,” adding, “I can’t even read it cynically. Trump loved him. It might even be reciprocated.”
When Trump was asked whether he’d feel comfortable living once again in New York City under Mamdani’s leadership, his answer was unequivocal. “I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help him do a great job,” he said. “I would feel very, very comfortable being in New York, and I think much more so after the meeting.”
WATCH:
Israeli security officials are signaling that the situation in Gaza may soon reach a breaking point. Kan 11 News reported Friday night that members of the Security Cabinet left a recent briefing convinced that Hamas’s accelerating military revival will eventually demand a forceful Israeli response.
The update came during a Cabinet session on Thursday, where defense officials laid out an extensive assessment of current realities in the Gaza Strip. Ministers were shown intelligence indicating that Hamas is both expanding its military capacities and consolidating political control. According to the report, the presentations also made clear that Hamas has shown no readiness to surrender its arsenal or scale back its operational capabilities.
One senior Israeli official put the dilemma starkly, telling Kan 11 News, “If the Americans do not succeed in bringing about Hamas’s disarmament, we will have the credit to do it ourselves.”
The briefing also addressed developments to Israel’s north. Defense personnel shared updated intelligence on Hezbollah’s intensifying military posture inside Lebanon. The ministers were told that Beirut’s leadership—already struggling to exert control—has proven unable to uphold its commitments under the ceasefire framework.
Israel, meanwhile, continues focusing its military pressure on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. However, it has avoided targeting Beirut itself, a restraint being exercised at Washington’s request.
Cabinet members quoted in the report acknowledged that the northern arena is trending in the same direction as Gaza, with some warning that the situation there, too, may eventually require what they described as “surgical treatment.”
{Matzav.com}
