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Mamdani: The ‘Weirdest’ Thing in the Oval Office Was a UFC Coffee-Table Book

05:47 AM, 11/26/2025
Mamdani: The ‘Weirdest’ Thing in the Oval Office Was a UFC Coffee-Table Book

Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old mayor-elect of New York City, said a coffee-table book titled UFC at the White House was one of the "weirdest" things he saw during his Oval Office meeting with President Trump. He declined to attend a planned June 2026 White House UFC event and stood by his earlier criticism of the president. Trump described the meeting as "very good" and later stepped back from plans to send federal forces to New York City, saying he would deploy troops only if necessary.

Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old mayor-elect of New York City, recounted an unusual detail from his Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump: a coffee-table book titled "UFC at the White House" sitting on the desk. He called it one of the "weirdest" things he noticed during an otherwise charged visit.

Mamdani described the moment on The Adam Friedland Show, saying he had been flipping through the book and was surprised to see it among the president's reading materials. When asked whether he planned to attend the White House UFC event scheduled for June 2026, Mamdani answered simply, "No."

A Democratic socialist who has previously described Trump as a "fascist" and a "despot," Mamdani did not retract those comments when reporters pressed him after the meeting. The exchange took an unexpected turn when Trump told Mamdani during the press scrum, "That's OK, you can just say yes," suggesting it would be easier than explaining his position.

"That's OK, you can just say yes," Trump said during the press exchange.

Earlier, Trump had publicly called Mamdani a "communist lunatic" and "not very smart," yet both men later described the conversation as constructive. Trump called the meeting "very good" and "productive," and even said he would feel comfortable living in New York City under Mamdani's leadership.

The president also pushed back on Republican critic Elise Stefanik's comment labeling Mamdani a "jihadist," saying he disagreed and attributing such rhetoric to campaign hyperbole. Mamdani said he kept his composure during the brief press conference because he was focused on thinking about New York City.

One concrete outcome of the meeting: Trump stepped back from an earlier posture of sending federal forces to New York City. He said he would consider deploying the National Guard or other troops "if they need it," but added that other places presently required more immediate attention.

The encounter drew attention for its strange mix of personal moments and political theater — from unexpected desk decor to pointed public remarks — and for a rare direct exchange between two figures from different political worlds.

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