‘The View’: Joy Behar Grills Zohran Mamdani Over Texting With Trump

The featured guest of the day on Tuesday’s (January 20) edition of The View was new New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, who took a victory lap over the implementation of some of his immediate policy enactments, including funding universal child care for city residents, by bringing some of the direct beneficiaries of those programs into the live audience during his visit.

As celebratory as Mamdani’s message was, though, he was also on hand to discuss his position on current national events, and Joy Behar in particular wanted to know why he was exchanging text messages with Donald Trump.

After Mamdani explained how “incredible” it feels to be building “a city government that moves as fast as New Yorkers do,” Behar asked him, “What’s interesting is you called him a ‘fascist’ to his face — a dream I’ve always had — and then we saw you talking to him that day, and he seemed to be madly in love with you. Now I understand you were texting to each other. Can I see the text of that meeting?”

After reviewing footage of Mamdani’s Oval Office meeting with Trump in question, Behar continued. “So obviously you’ve gone for the charm offensive, as opposed to Governor Newsom, who’s on the attack. Now, maybe yours is going to work, because we know he’s totally egomaniacal and narcissistic, and anytime you compliment him, he likes you. Is that your intention?” she asked.

“I think my intention is about being honest and direct with the president. And I think there are many disagreements the two of us have. There’s no shortage of them. One thing that we do have in common is that we both love New York City. We’re both New Yorkers,” Mamdani said. “And so for that entire meeting, I made the case about this city and what it can look like for this city if it’s a place that New Yorkers can afford, or if it’s a place that they’re pushed out of. And every single policy that the federal administration puts forward, it has impacts on this city.”

After Behar joked, ‘Do you have an award [for him]?” in reference to Trump’s texts to Norway’s prime minister stating that he would no longer pursue peace in Greenland since Norway didn’t give him the Nobel Peace Prize.

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“I don’t have an award,” Mamdani said. “What I will say, though, is that I’m going to exhaust every possibility. I mean, when New Yorkers elected me mayor, they’re looking for someone who’s going to turn over every leaf to see what is something they can do for the city. That’s where I stand.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Mamdani revealed his support for the abolishment of ICE, along with plans to increase affordability in the Big Apple, and Whoopi Goldberg closed the interview with effusively optimistic praise for his vision and plans: “Listen, if you can do what you say you can do, you will not only remake the city, but you may help remake the nation,” she said.

The View, weekdays, 11a/10c, ABC