Scott Bessent Hails Mamdani’s ‘Great Campaign’: ‘Clearly the Leader of the Democratic Party’

President Donald Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent lauded New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani for running a “great campaign” on Tuesday, praising the progressive as “clearly the leader of the Democratic Party.”

Mamdani visited Trump in the White House on Friday and the pair spoke to press for what was a shockingly civil joint presser. As reporters pressed the two men on a range of issues, the president and Democrat kept the exchange light, trading jokes and stressing that the discussion had been constructive after months of tense back-and-forth.

Bessent appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box Tuesday morning when co-host Andrew Ross Sorkin pressed him on the Oval Office “curveball” that was Trump’s jovial presser with Mamdani.

Sorkin began: “I was curious what your reaction was watching the meeting between the president and the mayor-elect of New York, Mamdani. We’ve talked about the mayor-elect, us on the air, before and some of the president’s views about socialism and the like.”

“It does seem like they were at least buddy-buddy on the issue of affordability,” the host added.

Bessent double down in mirroring Trump’s praise for Mamdani and replied: “Andrew, I was in the room, and I think that you’ve got to have some admiration for a candidate who ran a campaign the way he did. It was a great, great campaign. He is clearly the leader of the Democratic Party now.”

Praising Trump, he continued: “And I think it speaks to how open-minded the president is, that he invited him into the Oval. Senator [Chuck] Schumer never endorsed him. I don’t even know if he’s met with him. And President Trump wants the best for New Yorkers. I can tell you, my impression of the mayor-elect is he’s a young man with a lot of old ideas that have never worked.”

“Point to one example where policies like his have led to anything other than a decline,” he added. “But President Trump wants the best for the American people, and he hopes that New York will do well. It’s easy to run a campaign, but the practical everyday of keeping people safe, picking up the trash, making the subways run on time, we’ll see.”

Watch above via CNBC.