{"id":2574270,"date":"2026-02-27T07:55:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T12:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mamdani-trump-and-the-democrats-missed-opportunity\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T07:58:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T12:58:16","slug":"mamdani-trump-and-the-democrats-missed-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mamdani-trump-and-the-democrats-missed-opportunity\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani, Trump, and the Democrats&#8217; missed opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmamdani-trump-and-the-democrats-missed-opportunity%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2574270&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article centers on Zohran mamdani, the Ugandan-born new York City mayor, described as a millennial socialist who may have found a way to negotiate with Donald Trump. It notes Mamdani\u2019s successful white House meetings that yielded real concessions, including appealing to Trump with a tangible housing initiative and even a newspaper mockup titled \u201cLet\u2019s Build.\u201d The piece argues that Trump is more centrist and pragmatic than many Democrats acknowledge, citing Barack Obama\u2019s view that Trump is not ideologically fixed and can be swayed by incentives and flattery, especially from influential republicans like Lindsey Graham.<\/p>\n<p>It contrasts this with the broader Democratic approach, which the article suggests is often focused on defeating Trump rather than cultivating bipartisan cooperation. It points to figures like Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, whose long-standing relationships with Trump have varied, and argues that Democrats have missed opportunities to work with him on governance.<\/p>\n<p>The article emphasizes Mamdani\u2019s practical need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nyc-cant-stop-trumps-clawback-of-80m-for-migrant-hotels-judge\/\" title=\"NYC can&#039;t stop ...&#039;s clawback of M for migrant hotels: Judge\">secure federal support<\/a> for major city projects, even as he previously labeled Trump a fascist, implying that his method could serve as a model for other Democrats. It also notes that Trump\u2019s presidency has shifted the Republican Party to the right on immigration and other issues, complicating potential cooperation, and mentions how external factors like tariffs rulings could influence Trump\u2019s future decisions, including his Supreme Court nomination. Mamdani\u2019s approach is portrayed as potentially revealing and challenging for Democrats\u2014whether thay can or will adjust to pursue productive deals with Trump.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Mamdani, Trump, and the Democrats&rsquo; missed opportunity<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2516066\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/uganda\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3921\">Ugandan-born<\/a>, millennial socialist may be the first Democratic elected official to have figured out how to deal with President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>New York City Mayor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/zohran-mamdani\/\">Zohran Mamdani<\/a> had yet another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-biden-praises-bright-and-tough-putin-on-world-stage-trashes-republicans\/\" title=\"WATCH: Biden Praises \u2018Bright... And \u2018Tough... Putin On World Stage, Trashes Republicans\">successful meeting<\/a> with Trump at the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4473674\/mamdani-columbia-student-released-trump-meeting\/\">winning real concessions<\/a> from the president.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4473841\/vance-leading-trump-war-fraud-double-edged-sword\/\">Vance leading Trump&#8217;s &#8216;war on fraud&#8217; could be double-edged sword<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4468351\/trump-mark-carney-clash-mates\/\">Donald Trump and Mark Carney: &lsquo;Clash-mates&rsquo;?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4473894\/mamdani-nyc-housing-initiative-trump-newspaper-mockup\/\">Mamdani pitches NYC housing initiative to Trump with newspaper mockup: &#8216;Let&#8217;s Build&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>This is despite having denounced Trump as a fascist on the campaign trail and representing a political coalition that is anathema to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maga\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"7710\">MAGA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Mamdani has nevertheless realized that Trump is, as Margaret Thatcher memorably said of Mikhail Gorbachev, a man with whom he can do business.<\/p>\n<p>Trump is much more of a centrist than most Democrats think or want the country to believe. Former President Barack Obama, driving to put a brave face on being replaced by Trump, put it well back in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he is ideological,&rdquo; Obama told reporters after Trump&rsquo;s shock election win nearly a decade ago. &ldquo;I think ultimately he&rsquo;s pragmatic, in that way. And that can serve him well.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Some of the people in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican-party\/\">Republican Party<\/a> who frustrate Trump the most are strong fiscal conservatives and libertarians who balk at bills he wants to see passed. Trump is trying to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), not Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). He dislikes ideological &ldquo;grandstanders&rdquo; at least as much as &ldquo;RINOs.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump can also be swayed through flattery and ring-kissing. Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\">Lindsey Graham<\/a> (R-SC) has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4461367\/lindsey-graham-trump-generational-opportunity-iran\/\">remained influential <\/a>while other <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3208890\/iraq-war-hawks-endorse-kamala-harris\/\">like-minded Republicans<\/a> have been <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/990964\/trumps-bush-era-gop-foes-keep-losing-at-their-own-party-defining-game\/\">marginalized within the party<\/a>. If bombs soon start dropping on Iran, it will be the latest sign Graham has played this game better than <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1994028\/graham-and-paul-end-times-allies\/\">his intraparty foes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The business community and many international leaders also realized the futility of opposing Trump at every turn when he returned to the White House last year. They instead have sought to make deals with him where possible.<\/p>\n<p>Most Democrats, however, have not learned this lesson. They are seeking, first and foremost, to defeat Trump at the ballot box. This makes working and sharing credit with him difficult.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Minority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-schumer\/\">Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-NY), who hails from a different wing of the party than Mamdani, but had a long-standing relationship with Trump as a donor, appeared to sense the opening during the president&rsquo;s first term.<\/p>\n<p>Trump spoke of the promise of meetings with &ldquo;Chuck and Nancy.&rdquo; But Trump&rsquo;s relationship with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was too contentious to make bipartisan deal-making tenable. Soon, the midterm elections beckoned, Democrats won back the majority in the House, and the focus shifted to denying Trump a second term in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Things have moved even more quickly in Trump&rsquo;s second, nonconsecutive term. The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-elections\/\">midterm elections <\/a>are coming, Democrats are heavily favored, and the term-limited Trump will become a lame duck sometime before 2028.<\/p>\n<p>But if Mamdani can secure the administration&rsquo;s backing for a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >major public housing development<\/a>, some Democrats may wonder whether the Trump years were wasted on the Resistance. Trump could have given them cover with Republicans for any number of legislative compromises. Instead, Democrats have repeatedly pushed him into the arms of the Right, the political faction that has remained most steadfastly supportive of Trump.<\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4473894\/mamdani-nyc-housing-initiative-trump-newspaper-mockup\/\">newspaper mockup<\/a> Mamdani presented in the Oval Office was a direct appeal to Trump&rsquo;s vanity and self-image as a builder &mdash; and it may work.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has abandoned the GOP&rsquo;s commitment to Paul Ryan-style reforms of Social Security and Medicare. He has moderated the party&rsquo;s position on abortion, both in theory by diluting the anti-abortion plank of the Republican platform and in practice by dodging fights on the abortifacient mifepristone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But Democrats have no incentive to acknowledge such realities because they want to continue to demagogue these issues in election years. They believe they can beat Trump and replace him with a Democrat.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has also shifted the party to the Right on some issues, most notably immigration, and has become extremely right-wing since entering national politics. That has made a more radical and culturally-minded Left unable to cooperate with Trump on most things.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has made Democrats&rsquo; refusal to stand and applaud even uncontroversial things a central part of his last two speeches to Congress, including Tuesday&rsquo;s State of the Union address.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4472621\/tariffs-ruling-trump-supreme-court-nomination\/\"><strong>HOW THE TARIFFS RULING COULD COMPLICATE TRUMP&rsquo;S NEXT SUPREME COURT NOMINATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mamdani entered office after making a series of outlandish promises. He may not get the full support of New York Democrats in Albany as he tries to fulfill them. Municipal government is extremely results-oriented. Mamdani needs a productive working relationship with the federal government, even if it is currently headed by a man he called a fascist.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The New York City mayor no longer has the luxury of too much frivolity or partisanship in his work with Trump. Mamdani&rsquo;s method may reveal other Democrats&rsquo; missed opportunities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paraphrase:<br \/>\nZohran Mamdani, a Ugandan-born millennial socialist and New York City mayor, may become the first Democratic official to figure out how to work with President Trump. In a White House meeting, he secured real concessions and pitched a major public-housing plan with a newspaper mockup, appealing to Trump\u2019s builder-self-image with the \u201cLet\u2019s Build\u201d prompt. Although he has denounced Trump as fascist and leads a coalition at odds with MAGA, Mamdani has shown that Trump can be pragmatic and centrist\u2014more so than many Democrats admit. Obama once suggested Trump isn\u2019t ideological but pragmatic, a trait that can serve him well. Some Republicans, especially fiscal conservatives, oppose Trump\u2019s bills and dislike ideological \u201cgrandstanders,\u201d yet Trump can be swayed by flattery and negotiation, as Lindsey Graham has shown. The business community and many international leaders have learned not to oppose Trump everywhere, preferring to strike deals where possible. Most Democrats, however, have not learned this lesson; they focus on defeating Trump rather than collaborating. Senate Minority Leader Schumer, from a different wing of the party but with past ties to Trump as a donor, sensed an opening during Trump\u2019s first term, while Pelosi\u2019s contentious relationship with Trump hindered bipartisan work. With the midterms approaching and Trump nearing the end of his term, the question is whether Mamdani can win federal backing for a major housing project. Such a win could make the Democrats\u2019 resistance during the Trump years look like a missed opportunity and give Republicans cover for compromises, while Democrats remain reluctant to acknowledge even modest agreements. Trump has shifted the GOP further right on immigration and moved away from some prior reform stances, making cross-partisan cooperation harder. His two congressional speeches have underscored Democrats\u2019 reluctance to applaud even routine measures. A tariff ruling could further complicate his next Supreme Court nomination. Mamdani began with ambitious promises and will need productive cooperation from the federal government, even if the White House is currently led by a president he once criticized as fascist. In short, the mayor\u2019s approach may reveal other Democrats\u2019 missed opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>55-character headline option:<br \/>\nMamdani finds path with Trump: Dems miss<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2659,"featured_media":2574271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP25325745548559.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7428,3685,56552,74717,3634],"class_list":["post-2574270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-analysis","tag-democrats","tag-mamdani","tag-missed_opportunity","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP25325745548559.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2574270"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2574278,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574270\/revisions\/2574278"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2574271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2574270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2574270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2574270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}