Treasury Secretary Bessent hails Zohran Mamdani as ‘clearly’ the new leader of Democratic Party

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday (November 25) called New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani the “leader of the Democratic Party,” praising his campaign and noting the significance of his Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump.

Praises Mamdani’s campaign

Speaking to CNBC, Bessent said: "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 emphasized Mamdani’s rising influence in the Democratic Party: "He is clearly the leader of the Democratic Party now. And I think it speaks to how open-minded the president is, that he invited him into the Oval."

Mixed endorsements from New York Democrats

Bessent noted that some prominent Democrats did not endorse Mamdani. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not support him, though House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Governor Kathy Hochul did.

"Senator Schumer never endorsed him. I don’t even know if he’s met with him," Bessent said.

Trump congratulates Mamdani

President Trump also praised Mamdani, highlighting shared priorities for New York: "We have one thing in common. We want this city of ours that we love to do very well. And I wanted to congratulate the mayor. He really ran an incredible race against a lot of smart people… And he beat them easily."

Trump noted areas of mutual concern, including housing and food prices, saying: "We talked about some things in very strong common, like housing and getting housing built and food and prices."

Challenges ahead

Bessent stressed that governing presents practical challenges beyond campaigning, highlighting issues such as safety, sanitation, and public transit: “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.”