When Trump meets Mamdani: Five capitalist messages the democratic socialist should hear

When Donald Trump and New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani conscionable Friday astatine the White House, the speech won’t beryllium astir governmental polls oregon run slogans. It volition beryllium astir affordability — and astir 2 wholly antithetic worldviews of however America should operate.

Trump believes prosperity comes from freeing radical to physique wealth. Mamdani believes prosperity comes from authorities redistributing wealth. For now, some accidental they’re consenting to perceive each different out.

But this speech astir apt won’t beryllium personal. It volition beryllium philosophical. While the gathering volition beryllium astatine the White House, Mamdani volition beryllium coming from Trump’s hometown of New York City.

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This gathering could acceptable a precedent for what whitethorn hap implicit the adjacent decade. If I were a advisor for Trump contiguous — and assuming he’d perceive to maine — present are the hard lessons astir capitalism helium should present to the incoming mayor, constituent by point, with real-world examples that exposure the quality betwixt gathering an system and managing decline.

Lesson 1: Capitalism Expands Supply, Socialism Rations It

Take housing, wherever Mamdani says 1 successful 4 radical are surviving successful poverty. Trump’s presumption is simple: if you privation rents to stabilize oregon fall, physique much lodging — particularly affordable housing.

How bash you bash that? Incentivize developers. Cut zoning delays. Reduce NIMBY regulations. Add taxation credits wherever they marque sense. No handouts oregon giveaways — conscionable turning citizens into partners. Most of all, let backstage superior to flood into projects that summation supply.

You little prices the aforesaid mode Costco lowers the outgo of rotisserie chickens: done standard and efficiency, not wartime terms controls.

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By contrast, Mamdani champions "good origin eviction," rent freezes and allowing the authorities to acceptable the rules for who pays what. That’s socialism’s textbook play — power prices alternatively than summation supply. But rent power won’t make a azygous caller flat successful New York City. It’s been proven that successful cities that instrumentality terms controls, operation slows, attraction declines and disposable units shrink arsenic landlords exit the market.

Trump should archer him: "If you punish the builders, you get little building. If you escaped the builders, you get much housing."

Lesson 2: Capitalism Attracts Capital, Socialism Chases It Away

Trump likes to speech astir concern superior leaving cities similar New York and San Francisco — and helium isn’t wrong. Capital is similar water; it flows wherever it tin determination freely.

Under Trump’s philosophy, you chopped firm taxes and trim regularisation truthful businesses take to grow — truthful radical take to commencement caller businesses. Remember erstwhile manufacturers opened caller plants aft the 2017 taxation cuts oregon tiny businesses reinvested currency into hiring and equipment? You’ll spot this again with the monolithic bonus depreciation rules successful the precocious passed OBRA and with programs similar a Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ). Maybe the national authorities could adjacent state each 5 boroughs of New York authoritative QOZs.

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Mamdani’s worldview says the opposite: taxation more, walk much and modulate more. How volition taxing the affluent 2% much successful metropolis taxation marque radical privation to enactment and invest? He often advocates sharply higher taxes connected millionaires, fiscal transactions and corporations — the precise radical and institutions that make jobs and grow the gross base.

Trump should archer him: "If you deliberation affluent radical and businesses won’t leave, look astatine the U-Hauls leaving New York each weekend."

Lesson 3: Capitalism Innovates, Socialism Standardizes

Want a cleanable example? Look astatine Mamdani’s propulsion for city-owned market stores that merchantability astatine wholesale margins.

New York City Democratic mayoral campaigner Zohran Mamdani celebrates arsenic helium takes the signifier astatine his predetermination nighttime ticker enactment astatine the Brooklyn Paramount connected November 4, 2025 successful the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Mamdani defeated autarkic campaigner and erstwhile New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican campaigner Curtis Sliwa successful the intimately watched predetermination for New York City mayor.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty)

To Trump, that sounds similar the DMV replacing Whole Foods. The backstage assemblage competes. The backstage assemblage innovates. Grocery stores grow merchandise lines, find efficiencies, optimize logistics and put successful technology. What if we taught each kid successful America a mandatory people connected increasing their ain vegetables?

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Government-run markets? Does anybody retrieve Amtrak and wherefore our obstruction strategy lags down different countries? Government-run markets extremity up stocking the aforesaid products astatine the aforesaid price, utilizing the aforesaid processes. And erstwhile budgets tally dry, ticker the prime decline.

Capitalism brings choices. Socialism brings shortages.

Trump should say: "Zohran, the crushed Americans person 47 kinds of cereal is due to the fact that of capitalism. Under socialism, they’d beryllium fortunate to get one."

Lesson 4: Capitalism Rewards Work, Socialism Redistributes It

Trump’s economical worldview is straightforward: You get what you earn. Isn’t that life? You physique a business? You support the upside. You enactment other hours? You support much of the money. You invent thing valuable? You get paid for it.

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump volition conscionable astatine the White House connected Friday, November 21, 2025. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images and AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Mamdani’s exemplary redistributes done subsidies, authorities programs and publically funded benefits ranging from escaped buses to cosmopolitan childcare. The volition whitethorn beryllium compassionate, but the execution makes 1 radical wage for different group’s benefits indefinitely — particularly those who innovate, make jobs and make wealthiness for their efforts.

Trump should archer him: "You can’t turn an system by taking from apical performers and hoping the remainder magically emergence up."

Lesson 5: Capitalism Creates Jobs, Socialism Creates Dependence

When Trump chopped taxes and rolled backmost regulations successful his archetypal term, the effect was an undeniable surge successful jobs, debased unemployment, wage maturation and concern expansion. Employers hired due to the fact that they had assurance successful the system and currency flow.

I anticipation President Trump shares the successes and failures he’s seen arsenic a businessman — and the connection that giving distant everything for escaped is simply a look for disaster. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

Mamdani’s policies make dependence connected authorities systems — deliberation authorities lodging guarantees, authorities market stores, authorities transit, authorities terms controls. And soon, the authorities volition beryllium telling you erstwhile you’re earning excessively much.

One strategy creates producers. The different creates recipients.

Trump’s enactment present should beryllium simple: "Someone has to make the wealthiness earlier you tin redistribute it. Eventually you’ll tally retired of creators."

Conclusion: Trump Can Alter Mamdani’s View successful One Meeting

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When Trump sits down with Mamdani, I anticipation helium doesn’t lecture him. I anticipation helium teaches him — with examples of what’s worked successful this state for astir 250 years. I anticipation helium shares the successes and failures he’s seen arsenic a businessman — and that giving distant everything for escaped is simply a look for disaster.

Taking wealth from radical who’ve earned it and giving it to others sounds bully connected the aboveground until you recognize that astir of those earning it are the ones creating jobs for those who don’t person it. Or helium could simply propulsion retired a representation of the satellite and inquire Mamdani which state is doing socialism the close mode — and wherever it’s working.

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Capitalism: Build much → Attract much → Innovate much → Earn much → Employ more.

Socialism: Regulate much → Tax much → Control much → Ration much → Depend more.

One strategy creates abundance. One strategy manages scarcity. And that’s the quality each Americans request to remember.

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