Trump Tries His Signature Power Move on Mamdani and Pets Him Like a Dog Before the NY Mayor Reminds Him He’s Not In Control
New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met with President Donald Trump after the POTUS targeted the Muslim mayor on social media.
Trump made several disparaging remarks about Mamdani and his campaign prior to his recent historic win. So when news broke that the two would be meeting at the White House, people were eager to see how the interaction would play out after all their provocative back-and-forth.
What they didn’t expect was Trump trying to hit Mamdani with his signature power-play handshake — and everyone catching how spectacularly it backfired right there on camera.
Trump, in the past, has called Mamdani a “Communist Lunatic” on Truth Social, as well as stupid, and Mamdani taunted the president in his victory speech.
“If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him,” he said. “And if there is any way to defeat a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.”
During their Oval Office media session after their Nov. 21 meeting at the White House, a reporter asked the New York mayor-elect if he thought Trump was power-hungry or dangerous, and Mamdani began to reply when Trump cut him off.
“I’ve spoken about — ” he began before Trump interrupted, “That’s OK. You can just say yes.”
While patting Mamdani on the arm, he continued, “It’s easier. It’s easier than explaining. I don’t mind.”
What happened next has the internet in shock after a video of the two was shared on social media. When Trump and Mamdani shook hands, the president patted his hand afterward like a dog, but several people noted that he didn’t use his usual power grip and thought he was tame with Mamdani.
“This is the greatest body language sign that Trump genuinely likes Mamdani. He did NOT end that handshake with that signature dominant arm thrust he’s tried with world leaders. He let it go right away. MAGA world is full of exploding heads lol,” one user wrote on X.
This is the greatest body language sign that Trump genuinely likes Mamdani. He did NOT end that handshake with that signature dominant arm thrust he’s tried with world leaders. He let it go right away.
MAGA world is full of exploding heads lol. pic.twitter.com/nzPX2npgKD
— Gaurav Sabnis (@gauravsabnis) November 21, 2025
“Trump even gave up the dominant handshake to Mamdani,” claimed another. “Not his usual tugawar fest that he has with world leaders, but instead, his palm faces up here, Mamdani is in control.”
Another said, “Whoa Trump did his hand pat move, Trump really does like him.”
Many joked that Trump probably agreed with Mamdani’s assessment, but others blasted him for not keeping the same fired-up energy he unleashes online. Instead of the bluster he posts on Truth Social, they said he shrank in real time. One critic summed it up: “Trump is such a coward. Had so much to say about Mamdani, and now he’s puppy-dogging in person.”
But this isn’t the MAGA leader’s first time petting someone like a dog on camera. During a segment on “Fox & Friends” in September, Trump patted co-host Lawrence Jones on the knee after praising him for “doing a good job.”
“I’ll tell you what. I’m very proud of you. I said you were going to do well,” Trump said before patting Jones’ knee twice. ones smiled through the unbelievable moment, but the cameras immediately caught the sour look that washed over his face afterward.
Last August, the president was caught patting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arm during a greeting at an Alaskan airport last August. Trump didn’t attempt his usual power grip either; instead, he offered a noticeably weak handshake, followed by an awkward arm pat that felt like an attempt to save face.
Viewers noted that Putin seemed to block Trump’s trademark move altogether, even pointing a finger at the 79-year-old mid-greeting.
Trump seemed to enjoy the meeting and posted several pictures of the two in the Oval Office on Truth Social, and he even managed to say something nice about Mamdani despite his harsher remarks in the past.
“It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!” he wrote.
One can look to history to determine whether Trump’s cordial behavior toward the progressive mayor will last long.
