NYC Mayor Mamdani Praised for Flattering Tactic With Trump

Mamdani gifted Trump a mock newspaper cover to get an ICE detainee released.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met unexpectedly with President Donald Trump at the White House, bringing a mock newspaper front page that flattered Trump as a 'builder' in order to get the president to release an ICE detainee, Elmina Aghayeva, a Columbia University student from Azerbaijan. The meeting and Mamdani's diplomatic approach have drawn widespread praise from both left-wing and right-wing commentators.

Why it matters

Mamdani's unorthodox tactic of using flattery to influence the notoriously ego-driven Trump has been seen as an effective way to achieve concrete results, in this case securing the release of an immigrant detainee. The meeting also highlights the ongoing tensions between the Democratic mayor of New York City and the Republican president.

The details

During the surprise one-hour meeting, Mamdani presented Trump with a mock-up of the New York Daily News front page that read 'Trump to City: Let's Build', playing on the tabloid's iconic 1975 'Ford to City: Drop Dead' cover. Mamdani then directly asked Trump to release Elmina Aghayeva, a Columbia student who had been detained by ICE that morning. Later that day, Trump called Mamdani to say Aghayeva would be freed, and she was released within hours.

  • The unannounced meeting between Mamdani and Trump took place on Thursday.
  • Aghayeva was detained by ICE on the morning of the meeting.
  • Trump called Mamdani later that same day to say Aghayeva would be released.

The players

Zohran Mamdani

The Democratic mayor of New York City who met with Republican President Donald Trump at the White House.

Donald Trump

The Republican president who met with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the White House.

Elmina Aghayeva

A Columbia University student from Azerbaijan who was detained by ICE and released after Mamdani raised her case with Trump.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I want you to understand what Zohran Mamdani did. He met with Donald Trump today and gifted him a newspaper complimenting him as a 'builder'. Trump's big ego was flattered. After that, Mamdani asked Trump to free an ICE victim from detention and Donald Trump did it. Mamdani got an ICE victim free. And Donald Trump got a worthless piece of paper. That's the real art of the deal.”

— Johnny Palmadessa, left-wing journalist (Twitter)

“This is every millennial gentle parenting our own parents into reason.”

— Jillian Adel, anarchist (Twitter)

“Zohran seems to be a once-in-a-generation political talent. Very glad he's on our side.”

— Anne Reardon Urbanski, radical leftist (Twitter)

What’s next

The four other students whose names Mamdani provided to the White House - Mahmoud Khalil, Yunseo Chung, Mohsen Mahdawi and Leqaa Kordia - are still facing ongoing immigration proceedings, with only Kordia remaining in custody.

The takeaway

Mamdani's unorthodox diplomatic approach of using flattery to influence the notoriously ego-driven Trump has been praised as an effective tactic to achieve concrete results, in this case securing the release of an immigrant detainee. This meeting highlights the ongoing tensions between the Democratic mayor of New York City and the Republican president, and demonstrates how creative problem-solving can sometimes yield unexpected outcomes.