Paladino: Trump Outmaneuvered Mamdani in a “Chess Match” at the White House
Republican New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino described President Donald Trump’s sit-down with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as nothing short of a strategic masterstroke, telling Newsmax that the encounter played out like “a well-played game of chess.”
Speaking on Newsmax’s “Finnerty” with guest host Todd Starnes, Paladino argued that Trump walked away positioned as the clear winner. In her view, Mamdani now faces a political squeeze in which he will either succeed — giving Trump indirect credit — or falter and bear the political repercussions alone.
Paladino said the tone inside the Oval Office earlier that day was a sharp departure from the blistering campaign rhetoric. Trump, she noted, “gave him every benefit of every doubt” and intentionally “set up Zohran to be that person that has to answer to his DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] base here in New York City.”
That moment, she said, now leaves the mayor-elect accountable to progressive supporters who expect him to uphold affordability promises and other campaign commitments, all while standing beside Trump in such a high-profile setting.
Although she does not think New York is on the brink of collapse, Paladino warned that the true measure of Mamdani’s leadership will come in the first few months of his administration. She summed up the dynamic bluntly: “He was like the child in the room and Trump was the president.”
The backdrop to Friday’s meeting is the bitter campaign season during which Trump had denounced Mamdani as a “communist” and threatened to cut federal funding if he prevailed. Despite that history, the two men held a notably cordial exchange at the White House, discussing affordability, public safety, and other key issues.
To Paladino, the meeting demonstrated Trump’s understanding of political leverage. By extending a gesture of goodwill, she said, he effectively boxed Mamdani into a difficult position — requiring federal cooperation while staying faithful to a progressive movement that expects sweeping change. “It isn’t negotiation. This is politics,” she said.
Looking ahead, she noted that the challenges for the incoming mayor revolve around whether he adheres to his ideological convictions or bends under broader expectations from Washington and New York’s wider electorate.
With Mamdani set to take office on Jan. 1, Paladino suggested that the White House appearance may be only the opening move in a long political game. She predicted that while Mamdani might surprise some skeptics on the right, Trump’s strategy will remain untouched. “He’s going to surprise conservatives all right, because he’s going to have to fall into line, otherwise suffer the consequences,” Paladino said.
{Matzav.com}
