Trump Appears to Tell White Lie to Mayor Eric Adams About Coffee Preference
The former president, known for his aversion to coffee, told New York's socialist mayor "I do, I love a coffee," according to a lipreader.
Donald Trump, who famously avoids coffee and opts for Diet Coke, appeared to tell New York City Mayor Eric Adams a white lie about his beverage preference during a recent exchange.
Mamdani asked Trump, "Do you like coffee?" as they walked out of Gracie Mansion on Monday. According to lipreader Nicola Hickling, who analyzed footage for the Daily Mail, Trump replied, "I do, I love a coffee."
This statement marked a notable departure from Trump's long-standing aversion to coffee, which he attributes to his elder brother Fred Trump Jr.'s struggles with alcoholism. "He was 10 years older than me, and he would always tell me not to drink or smoke," Trump told Esquire in 2015. "I won't even drink a cup of coffee. I just stay away from those things because he had such a tremendous problem." He reiterated this sentiment in his 2000 book, "The America We Deserve," stating he had never had a cup.
The only widely reported exception occurred during the 2016 campaign trail when Trump ordered a Cuban cafecito in Miami's Little Havana, posing with the cup for cameras and declaring it "strong."
The exchange with Mamdani capped a seemingly cordial interaction where Trump appeared to invite the mayor to the White House and offer his support. "Come with me to the White House, I'll set up the meetings, because how I work is good and it shows," Trump told Mamdani, 34. "Plus I see this as never ending, so I need you to be comfortable. I wanna support you, and I want you to feel good."
The conversation began with Mamdani apparently cautioning Trump about nearby reporters. "Don't speak, everyone has their cameras on," the mayor said. Trump responded, "Oh don't worry, we got nothing to hide."
Moments later, Trump asked, "Can we work together and continue this over breakfast?" Mamdani nodded before posing the coffee question.
The meeting occurred as Trump arrived in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. It followed a period of political animosity, as during last year's mayoral race, Trump had labeled Mamdani a "communist lunatic" and threatened to arrest him over his stance on immigration agents. However, their first meeting in the Oval Office after Mamdani's victory was described as remarkably cordial.
Trump even intervened when a reporter asked Mamdani if he still considered the president a fascist, telling the reporter, "That's OK. You can just say yes."
Mamdani had previously visited Washington with a mock New York Daily News front page reading "Trump to City: Let's Build," referencing the paper's famous 1975 "Ford to City: Drop Dead" headline, to propose new housing investment.
On Monday, the two discussed a potential housing project in Queens that would require federal approval and likely funding. Trump reminisced about past mayors, calling Mamdani's potential tenure "a start."
Despite the apparent warmth, Mamdani acknowledged that he and Trump still disagree strongly but stated he would continue conversations with the president to secure relief for New York City residents.
The press conference on the lawn of Gracie Mansion also saw Trump defend his administration's ban on certain outlets from the White House, criticizing them as "very bad for the country" while asserting their obligation to be fair.