WASHINGTON 

US President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani emerged from closed-door talks Friday upbeat on one another, saying their conversation focused on "affordability" in America's largest city.

The men, who are both populists but on vastly different sides of the political spectrum, sought to downplay months of acrimony in which Mamdani dubbed Trump a "fascist" as Trump castigated the incoming mayor as a "communist," and threatened to withhold federal funding for New York City.

"Some of my views have changed, and we had discussions on some things. I'm going to discuss what they were, but that I feel very confident that he can do a very good job. I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he hosted Mamdani.

Asked about Mamdani's past remarks in which he called the US president a "despot," Trump downplayed their severity, saying, " I've been called much worse than a despot. So, it's not it's not that insulting. I think he'll change his mind after we get to working together."

Asked if he thinks Mamdani, who is slated to become New York City's first Muslim American mayor, is a "jihadist," Trump responded: "No, I don't."

"I met with a man who's a very rational person. I met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again," he added.

The mayor-elect was separately asked if he still thinks Trump is a "fascist," to which he said the leaders "are very clear about our positions and our views."

"What I really appreciate about the president is the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers," he said. "Frankly, that is something that could transform the lives of eight and a half million people who are currently struggling under a cost-of-living crisis."

In a moment of levity following a follow-up question in which Mamdani was asked if that means he stands by his assessment of the president as a "fascist," Trump told Mamdani, "You can just say 'yes.' It's easier than explaining it," eliciting laughter from reporters.

"I don't mind," Trump said.

Asked about his threat to sever federal funding for New York City, Trump said, "I don't think that's going to happen."

"We had a meeting today that actually surprised me. He wants to see no crime. He wants to see housing being built. He wants to see rents coming down. All things that I agree with now, we may disagree on how we get there," Trump said.