The chummy Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was truly horseshoe theory on display. The far-left and the far-right have a lot in common. “We agree on a lot more than I would have thought,” Trump remarked about his meeting with the democratic socialist. While much of the media coverage expressed surprise at how friendly the two were, I’m not sure how anyone can really be surprised. Sure, Trump indulges in standard anti-leftist talking points and has called Mamdani a communist. Sure, Mamdani indulges in standard leftist talking points and has called Trump a fascist. But both Trump and Mamdani have fundamentally overlapping belief in the power, and obligation, of the government to meddle in economic affairs in pursuit of their conceptions of fairness and justice. Both are the product of a populist rejection the power of markets to solve problems and a populist impulse to toss out whatever limitations are in the way of “our side” doing what must be done. While Mamdani has previously indicated his dream of “seizing the means of production,” Trump has actually been doing it in a sense. From having the federal government buy a stake in Intel to shaking down companies left and right, Trump has eviscerated what was left of a free market orientation in the Republican Party. “We have a golden stock, we have a golden share, which I control, or a president controls,” Trump said of Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U. S. Steel back in June. He’s trotted out pharmaceutical executives agreeing to lower prices and/or producing more in the United States in exchange for Trump not hammering them with tariffs. “Today’s bargain may offer short-term relief, but it still keeps Washington in the driver’s seat, deciding who pays, who profits, and which drugs get fast-tracked,” argues Jeffrey Singer at the Cato Institute. “Real affordability won’t come from political deals or tariff threats; it will come from empowering patients to make their own choices in a genuinely competitive market.” Speaking of tariffs, while Mamdani is dreaming up government grocery stores, Trump is busy trying to reorient the global economy through tariffs and the threats of tariffs, past trade agreements and actual results be damned. While Mamdani would certainly be condemned by Republicans for any tax increase he proposes, Trump has managed to get Republicans to nod along as he imposes costly taxes on American businesses and consumers. (See: My recent column on Young Kim and Ken Calvert bending over backwards to rationalize what he’s doing.) In the last week, Trump went too far and drew a rare (sort of) rebuke from congressional Republicans when he floated the idea of doling out $2,000 checks. “We’re facing a deficit this year around $2 trillion,” Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said in response. “I think whatever revenue we get, from whatever source, ought to go to try and bring down those deficits.” Yes, a $2 trillion deficit that will only persist and worsen thanks to Trump’s budget-busting One Big Beautiful Bill. Republicans used to compare President Barack Obama to Joseph Stalin for deficits less than that. Mamdani, as mayor of the Big Apple, could only dream of having the moneyprinter and power of the federal government. In some ways, Trump’s view of the proper scope of government power is even broader and harsher than Mamdani’s. Mamdani, an immigrant himself, goes too far in calling for New York City to ramp up legal aid to immigrants to upwards of $100 million. Cities should focus on city affairs; private philanthropy should finance this sort of need. But, that’s how Mamdani’s mind works; he sees an injustice, he sees a need for government involvement. That’s a lot less harsh than Trump’s mass deportation policy of siccing masked feds to grab people off the street regardless of whether or not they have a criminal record. Or chasing parents after dropping their kids off to school. Or deporting people trying to do the right thing by showing up to the citizenship office. That’s how Trump’s mind works; he sees immigrants working and living in America, he sees less opportunity for Americans. All this said, is it really any surprise two statists got along? Neither of them are committed to the liberal project of at least aspiring to limited government, freer markets or the protection of private property. You know, that great combination which made America the richest nation on the planet and a beacon for the world. As Trumponomics continues to fail and Mamdani rediscovers that rent control doesn’t work, there will come a time when reality reasserts itself. For now, we have showcases in government hubris from Mamdani and Trump. Sal Rodriguez can be reached at salrodriguez@scng. com.
https://www.ocregister.com/2025/11/22/trump-and-mamdani-two-statists-in-the-white-house/
Trump and Mamdani: Two statists in the White House
