<p>New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani showed up at the White House on Thursday (Feb 26) with a carefully chosen gift for President Donald Trump. The offering, which was clearly designed to appeal to Trump’s ego, came with an appeal: for the POTUS to intervene in the case of Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia University student who had been detained earlier by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. So, what was the gift? Did it work? All you need to know.</p><h2><strong>What did Mamdani give Trump?</strong></h2><p>Zohran Mamdani gave Donald Trump a mocked-up New York Daily News front page praising Trump’s support for housing in the city. The graphic featured a stoic photo of the president with the headline, “Trump to City: Let’s Build.”</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-declares-open-war-against-afghanistan-taliban-says-patience-reached-its-limit-1772154130929"><strong>Pakistan declares 'open war' against Afghanistan Taliban, says 'patience reached its limit'</strong></a></p><p>Alongside it, Mamdani presented a very different piece of history. The original 1975 Daily News cover that once declared “Ford to City: Drop Dead.”</p><p>By all accounts, it worked. The president appeared to take to it immediately. A picture shared by Mamdani on X shows Trump grinning from ear to ear while showing off the two newspapers.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon.<br><br>I’m looking forward to building more housing in New York City. <a href="https://t.co/XnPbt0KXYU">pic.twitter.com/XnPbt0KXYU</a></p>&mdash; Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor/status/2027113267710021738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2><strong>Ellie Aghayeva freed</strong></h2><p>Mamdani later described the Oval Office conversation as "productive". In a post on X, he said he was "looking forward to building more housing in New York City" with Trump.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/elon-musk-blasts-new-york-times-as-utterly-disgusting-over-paedophilia-not-a-crime-article-jeffrey-epstein-files-1772095271310"><strong>'Utterly disgusting’: Musk blasts NYT over 'paedophilia not a crime' article</strong></a></p><p>During the meeting, the mayor also raised the case of Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia University student detained earlier that day by federal immigration agents from her dorm. Mamdani asked Trump to consider her release. Soon after, he said the president agreed in a follow-up call.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just got off the phone with President Trump.<br><br>In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elmina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning.<br><br>He has just informed me that she will be released imminently. <a href="https://t.co/rvmTWpq83r">https://t.co/rvmTWpq83r</a></p>&mdash; Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor/status/2027129042432913711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>29-year-old Aghayeva later posted online that she was safe and heading home.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260227/image-1772179388056.png"></figure><p>Mamdani’s office confirmed that he also shared a list of four additional detained students with Trump and his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, requesting that their cases also be reviewed.</p>

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani brought an unusual present for Donald Trump to the White House, along with a request tied to an ICE detention. What was the gift and did it work?

Scroll down to read more.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani showed up at the White House on Thursday (Feb 26) with a carefully chosen gift for President Donald Trump. The offering, which was clearly designed to appeal to Trump’s ego, came with an appeal: for the POTUS to intervene in the case of Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia University student who had been detained earlier by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. So, what was the gift? Did it work? All you need to know. What did Mamdani give Trump? Zohran Mamdani gave Donald Trump a mocked-up New York Daily News front page praising Trump’s support for housing in the city. The graphic featured a stoic photo of the president with the headline, “Trump to City: Let’s Build.” Also read | Pakistan declares 'open war' against Afghanistan Taliban, says 'patience reached its limit' Alongside it, Mamdani presented a very different piece of history. The original 1975 Daily News cover that once declared “Ford to City: Drop Dead.” By all accounts, it worked. The president appeared to take to it immediately. A picture shared by Mamdani on X shows Trump grinning from ear to ear while showing off the two newspapers.

<p>NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani brought an unusual present for Donald Trump to the White House, along with a request tied to an ICE detention. What was the gift and did it work?</p><p>Scroll down to read more.</p>

Mamdani flatters Trump with a gift, scores freedom for Ellie Aghayeva, the Columbia student detained by ICE

<p>Zohran Mamdani, New York City's Mayor-elect, met US President Donald Trump in the White House last week. In a recent podcast, the 34-year-old talked about the "weirdest thing" he saw in the Oval Office. At his appearance on the web-based "The Adam Friedland Show", Mamdani said he spotted a "UFC" coffee table book among Trump's reading materials. He said he had "no idea" that the White House was going to host the mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn in June. "I sit down, waiting for the time of the meeting, and in front of me are all of these different coffee-table books," Mamdani said while recalling his day.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>"And one of them is UFC at the White House. I had no idea, and I was just flipping, flipping through that," he added. Mamdani was asked whether he was planning to attend the event. He replied, "No," with a chuckle.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>'Trump is a fascist'</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Mamdani on Sunday (Nov 23) defended his astonishingly warm meeting with President Donald Trump, saying the sudden display of friendliness does not change his long-held view that Trump is a "fascist" and a "despot". During an interview, Mamdani said his political stance remains unchanged despite the unexpectedly cordial White House encounter that unfolded on Friday.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Mamdani insisted, "Everything that I've said in the past, I continue to believe." He said, "I'm not coming into the Oval Office to make a point or make a stand. I'm coming in there to deliver for New Yorkers."</p>

In a recent podcast, the 34-year-old talked about the weirdest thing he saw in the Oval Office. At his appearance on the web-based The Adam Friedland Show, Mamdani said he spotted a UFC coffee table book among Trump reading materials. 

Zohran Mamdani, New York City's Mayor-elect, met US President Donald Trump in the White House last week. In a recent podcast, the 34-year-old talked about the "weirdest thing" he saw in the Oval Office. At his appearance on the web-based "The Adam Friedland Show", Mamdani said he spotted a "UFC" coffee table book among Trump's reading materials. He said he had "no idea" that the White House was going to host the mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn in June. "I sit down, waiting for the time of the meeting, and in front of me are all of these different coffee-table books," Mamdani said while recalling his day. "And one of them is UFC at the White House. I had no idea, and I was just flipping, flipping through that," he added. Mamdani was asked whether he was planning to attend the event. He replied, "No," with a chuckle.

<p>In a recent podcast, the 34-year-old talked about the "weirdest thing" he saw in the Oval Office. At his appearance on the web-based "The Adam Friedland Show", Mamdani said he spotted a "UFC" coffee table book among Trump's reading materials.&nbsp;</p>

WATCH: Zohran Mamdani saw ‘weirdest thing’ in White House while waiting for Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump who once called NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani a “communist lunatic” looked all smitten by him as he visited the White House. The interaction and the bond between the two leaders has gone viral on the internet

'Fascist' meets 'jihadist': Trump–Mamdani meeting sparks memefest online

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Mamdani flatters Trump with a gift, scores freedom for Ellie Aghayeva, the Columbia student detained by ICE

WATCH: Zohran Mamdani saw ‘weirdest thing’ in White House

‘Find someone who looks at you…’: Trump–Mamdani meeting breaks the internet