The King and The Comrade: Trump's Big Apple Alliance

President Donald Trump and New York Mayor- elect Zorhan Mamdani

By Christopher M Peeks November 21, 2025

Pundits are yet to grasp the tsunami that rocked the political world when U.S. President Donald Trump and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met today in the Oval Office. Like a leering monument built of marble on the National Mall, the nation's 45th and 47th chief executive cemented his legacy in the annals of history as the most powerful figure ever in American politics.

How does a sit-down with a New York City mayor who hasn’t even taken office elevate the former reality star–turned–president to such a status? Easy. For starters, Mamdani—a former state assemblyman who is only 34—sounded more like a back-the-blue, Israel-supporting capitalist than the Marxist jihadist we saw during the election.

He sounded more like a conservative than a Democratic Socialist.

Now, don’t think that Mamdani caved. There’s no telling what kind of treasure Trump promised him to forge a working partnership. But if politics is a game of chess, the Republican president just put the Democratic Party in check.

Let me explain.

The Democrats are in the midst of an internal civil war, with various factions jockeying for power. By inviting the Big Apple’s next mayor for a powwow at the White House, Trump elevated Mamdani’s credibility and made him a player in the fight for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party.

It was a brilliant move by a president playing high-stakes chess while the Democrats are still playing checkers. Trump, now in his second term and with a firm grip on the GOP, has extended his influence into the opposition party.

By fomenting an alliance with a far-left radical, Trump is isolating segments of the Democratic Party—proving once again he is two moves ahead of his foes.

Trump has assumed the crown right under the nose of his opponents.

I wonder what will be written on the protester signs at the next “No Kings” rally as King Donald the First checkmates these pawns.

Christopher M. Peeks

Reporter and Columnist

Alabama Political Contributor

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