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Mamdani declines Kimmel's request to text Trump a selfie, citing housing

On Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Brooklyn, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani answered questions about his relationship with Donald Trump by stressing shared interest in the city and housing, and declined to send Trump a selfie. Outlets differ on whether this was a dodge or diplomacy.

4 outlets · 3L · 0C · 1R First reported Account updated

Updated (version 2). Rewritten with the latest reporting.

Image: Fox News
Image: Rolling Stone
Image: The Independent
Image: The A.V. Club

1 / 4

The story, neutrally told

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday night, the first show of Kimmel's week of tapings in Brooklyn. Kimmel called the mayor's relationship with President Donald Trump "very unexpected" and asked how Mamdani had built it and whether he could help. Mamdani replied "Sorry, brother," said he and Trump have many disagreements, and said they agree on how much they love the city.

He said their recent communication centres on the Sunnyside Yard project in Queens, which he described as 12,000 homes and 30,000 jobs. Rolling Stone, the Independent and the A.V. Club report that Mamdani also raised Haitian New Yorkers, whose protected status has ended, with Trump. When Kimmel asked about texting Trump a selfie of the two of them, Mamdani declined, saying "Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing more."

Fox News described the exchange as Mamdani deflecting Kimmel's questions and avoiding criticism of Trump, and said the White House did not immediately respond to its request for comment. The A.V. Club framed the refusal as polite diplomacy, while the Independent added context on Trump's recent praise of Mamdani and on Kimmel's strained relationship with Trump, including a dispute over a joke about the First Lady.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.

Left3 outlets

Framing
Entertainment-style reports on the selfie refusal as a light moment, with Mamdani shown as focused on housing and city policy; the A.V. Club adds admiring commentary and criticism of Trump.
Emphasis
Mamdani's policy ideas and Sunnyside Yard, Haitian New Yorkers, and Kimmel's guest lineup and Trump feud.
Leaves out or plays down
Little of the Trump-praise history from Fox's account (State of the Union remarks, February Oval Office meeting); no White House comment sought.
Charged language
“bewildering/horrifying”“poke the bear”“his regime”
For example
“Mamdani, displaying the sort of diplomacy that’s allowed him to stay on said bear’s good side, politely refused” — The A.V. Club
“Jimmy Kimmel asks Zohran Mamdani to risk relationship with Trump for a selfie with him” — The Independent
“Kimmel opened his segment with the politician by sharing a series of clips of pundits warning about how Mamdani would bring the city to destruction.” — Rolling Stone

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right1 outlet

Framing
Frames the interview as Kimmel trying to get Mamdani to criticise Trump and Mamdani avoiding it.
Emphasis
Mamdani's refusal to bash Trump, plus Trump's earlier praise and calls him a 'communist' mayor.
Leaves out or plays down
Omits Rolling Stone and Independent detail on Haitian New Yorkers and Mamdani's other city initiatives discussed in the interview.
Charged language
“anti-Trump bait”“socialist mayor”“new communist mayor”
For example
“Zohran Mamdani dodged Jimmy Kimmel's attempts to get him to bash President Donald Trump in several questions asked about the nature of their relationship.” — Fox News
“"The new communist mayor of New York City, I think he’s a nice guy, actually,"” — Fox News