NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani Says He Spotted “UFC at the White House” Book During Meeting With Trump

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has revealed an unusual detail from his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. Speaking on The Adam Friedland Show, Mamdani said he noticed a “UFC at the White House” coffee-table book among the president’s reading materials — something he described as the “weirdest thing” he saw during the visit.

The 34-year-old democratic socialist recalled sitting down before the meeting and flipping through the book. It didn’t contain images of fights, he said, but visual renderings showing how the UFC octagon would be set up on the White House’s South Lawn.

The mixed martial arts event is scheduled for June 14, 2026, to coincide with Trump's 80th birthday and the celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary. Trump had teased the plan earlier in July.

When asked whether he planned to attend the event, Mamdani replied with a laugh: “No.”

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Mamdani Stands by Calling Trump a “Fascist”

Despite the cordial tone of his White House meeting, Mamdani reaffirmed his earlier description of Trump as a “fascist” and “despot” in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press.

Asked whether he still viewed Trump as a threat to democracy, he said:

“Everything that I've said in the past I continue to believe… we shouldn’t shy away from where we have disagreements.”

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A Viral White House Moment

During the pair’s recent joint media interaction, a reporter asked Mamdani whether he still considered the president a fascist. Before he could respond, Trump stepped in with an unexpected quip:

“That's OK. You can just say it… I don't mind.”

The moment, marked by surprising light-heartedness between two political opposites, quickly went viral online.