By Damian Paletta

Good morning. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was back at the White House on Thursday.

Measuring the golden drapes? No.

He was doing something even more unthinkable: meeting with his apparent BFF, President Trump.

Before Mamdani was elected in November, he and Trump said all sorts of nasty things about each other.

But, all of the sudden, the two are talking, apparently texting (what is the name of their group chat?) and seemingly working together.

There are a bunch of theories as to what's afoot, but here's one: Game respects game. The populism both Trump and Mamdani honed into an art form transcends their politics. Trump, of course, has a soft spot for New York City as well.

Perhaps wisely, Mamdani has tapped into Trump's love of construction and appealed to Trump to help build more housing in New York. After the meeting, Mamdani released of a photo of the two of them, behind the Resolute Desk, with the president absolutely beaming and holding a mock newspaper headline that said "TRUMP TO CITY: LET'S BUILD."

Mamdani also said Thursday afternoon he asked Trump to release a student who had been detained by ICE, and that Trump had agreed to do so.

It's a partnership few saw coming but now has everyone wondering: What might they be up to next?

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People and Policies I'm Watching

Bill Clinton: The former president is scheduled to give a deposition related to his past connections with Jeffrey Epstein as part of a House Oversight Committee investigation.

Trump's Friday: The president travels to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he will receive an energy briefing at 3:05 p.m. CST and deliver remarks on energy policy at the Port of Corpus Christi at 3:35 p.m. He will also participate in a local television interview before departing for Palm Beach, Fl a.

What I'm Following

The Fed is quietly challenging two DOJ subpoenas. The subpoenas stem from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's investigation into whether Fed Chair Jerome Powell gave false testimony to Congress about a building renovation project. Powell said last month that the probe was a pretext for Trump's campaign to pressure the Fed to cut rates and end its independence.

As Trump's African peace deal teetered, a call from Rwanda halted U.S. sanctions. In January, Rwandan President Paul Kagame called Sen. Lindsey Graham asking him to help block White House sanctions after his country broke a peace deal brokered by Trump. Graham argued Rwanda was a reliable U.S. partner, and the White House shelved the sanctions.

Hillary Clinton told a GOP-led committee she didn't know about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. The former secretary of state gave a videotaped deposition about Epstein before the panel, which she characterized as a partisan "fishing expedition." The deposition was briefly paused after Rep. Lauren Boebert sent a photo of Clinton to a MAGA influencer who then posted it on X.

What Else Is Happening

   -- Republicans are anxious that a MAGA vs. MAGA feud in Georgia will help 
      Democrats in the midterms. 
 
   -- Anthropic said it wouldn't back down in a dispute with the Pentagon over 
      AI guardrails. 
 
   -- A judge declined to block construction of Trump's planned White House 
      ballroom. 
 
   -- A snowball fight has sparked a feud between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the 
      NYPD. 
 
   -- Big Oil wants Trump to abandon his battle against offshore wind projects 
      because it risks derailing efforts to speed up permits for energy 
      projects. 

What I'm Reading

   -- Nancy Pelosi Says She Will Still Have Political 'Influence' After 
      Retiring (Washington Examiner) 
 
   -- Cardi B Endorses Jasmine Crockett; New Poll Shows James Talarico Leading 
      Texas Senate Race (Fox 26 Houston) 

This Week in Washington History

The 1803 decision in Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review, under which judges determine whether laws passed by Congress are unconstitutional. The ruling effectively elevated the judiciary as an independent and coequal branch of government.

About Me

I'm Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journal's Washington coverage chief. I've covered Washington for 22 years as a reporter and editor. I've covered the White House, Congress, national security, the federal budget, economics and multiple market meltdowns.

WSJ Politics brings you an expert guide to what's driving D.C., every weekday morning. Send your feedback to politics@wsj.com (if you're reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Joe Haberstroh and Dick Streuly. Got a tip for us? Here's how to submit.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 27, 2026 07:01 ET (12:01 GMT)

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