Another excellent piece, X. I particularly liked the section on what to watch for next. Let's see what actually happens before passing judgement on the meeting. Will Trump stop his opposition to anything that might benefit NYC? It's possible; his attention span is not that long. Maybe a kind of "benign neglect" (to drag up an unhappy phrase from the past). His flying monkeys may have other ideas.
I don't think this truce, if truce it is, will have much effect on national politics. This is a New York thing. MAGAts gonna MAGAt, zealots gonna whine, but most people will just carry on as before.
And your references to foreign perceptions of this event are important, not so much for the perceptions themselves as for our own need to be aware of them.
Color me suspicious / cynical / bewildered ... in equal measure. This feels like a set-up -- & a serious misstep for Mamdani. (But then, nobody asked me!!) We'll see what happens. Let's hope Mamdani sees this for the ruse it is. Trusting Trump is a fool's move.
IMHO Mamdani's meeting with the president underscores his campaign pledge to work on improving livability in NYC for all New Yorkers. This will prove to be vital to mayor elect Mamdani's success, whether president Trump remains agreeable or not.
Another excellent piece, X. I particularly liked the section on what to watch for next. Let's see what actually happens before passing judgement on the meeting. Will Trump stop his opposition to anything that might benefit NYC? It's possible; his attention span is not that long. Maybe a kind of "benign neglect" (to drag up an unhappy phrase from the past). His flying monkeys may have other ideas.
I don't think this truce, if truce it is, will have much effect on national politics. This is a New York thing. MAGAts gonna MAGAt, zealots gonna whine, but most people will just carry on as before.
And your references to foreign perceptions of this event are important, not so much for the perceptions themselves as for our own need to be aware of them.
Color me suspicious / cynical / bewildered ... in equal measure. This feels like a set-up -- & a serious misstep for Mamdani. (But then, nobody asked me!!) We'll see what happens. Let's hope Mamdani sees this for the ruse it is. Trusting Trump is a fool's move.
IMHO Mamdani's meeting with the president underscores his campaign pledge to work on improving livability in NYC for all New Yorkers. This will prove to be vital to mayor elect Mamdani's success, whether president Trump remains agreeable or not.
Great read.