Did Trump’s warmth toward Mamdani rattle JD Vance?

Trump-Mamdani Oval meeting

Vice President J.D. Vance, long considered a loyal Trump ally, may have felt sidelined this week. Fox News host Brian Kilmeade suggested Vance was “jealous” after President Donald Trump welcomed New York City mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani to the Oval Office.

The two leaders met behind closed doors before briefing reporters, during which Trump repeatedly praised Mamdani, calling him a “very rational person” and saying he would feel comfortable living in New York under his administration. Trump added that Mamdani and he “have a lot in common” and that “some of his ideas are really the same ideas that I have.” Video from the nearly hour-long meeting shows Trump smiling, shaking Mamdani’s hand, and patting him on the arm, demonstrating a warmth that surprised some observers.

Kilmeade floated the idea that Vance, a Republican, might be feeling jealous. “I think JD Vance is jealous. I think the president wants to use him as a running mate,” he said on air, though noting Trump cannot legally serve a third term. He described the meeting as “a love-fest” and “a respect-fest,” adding, “they got along fantastic.”

Fox News: “I think JD Vance is jealous [of Zohran Mamdani]. I think the president wants to use him as a running mate.” pic.twitter.com/iRXiWB9OYk
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) November 21, 2025

Vance has previously said on a podcast that one of the three people he would invite to dinner, living or dead, would be Trump, despite the president being “regularly accessible to him,” reports the Daily Beast. His only public reaction to the Oval Office encounter came via X, where he celebrated Trump’s comments about Mamdani: “POTUS has a lot of good moments but this is an all-timer.”

https://t.co/SkBdzv9hsb pic.twitter.com/Jbtutm4vzU— manny (@mannyfidel) November 21, 2025

Trump also moderated earlier attacks on Mamdani, whom he had called a “communist lunatic” during the campaign. Mamdani, in turn, has labelled Trump a “fascist” on several occasions. The meeting thus marked a surprising moment of cordiality between the GOP leader and a progressive Democrat, highlighting Trump’s willingness to acknowledge and praise a political opponent despite past tensions.