President Donald J. Trump’s surprise Oval Office sit-down with New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani sent shockwaves across MAGA circles last week — igniting outrage, confusion, and a full weekend of grassroots infighting.
But just three days later, the White House delivered a move that longtime America-First supporters have demanded for years: a sweeping executive action kick-starting the process to label several Muslim Brotherhood branches as foreign terrorist organizations.
To many Trump loyalists, the timing didn’t feel like coincidence. It looked like the administration throwing a lifeline to its base after images of the president warmly greeting a self-described democratic socialist — and soon-to-be NYC’s first Muslim mayor — left supporters stunned.
For the record: Mamdani has no formal tie to the Muslim Brotherhood. The group began in Egypt and expanded globally, but critics have accused Mamdani of harboring radical views because of his fiery anti-Israel messaging on the campaign trail.
Still, the optics alone were enough to send parts of the movement into meltdown.
Loomer Calls It Out Directly
Conservative activist Laura Loomer blasted the executive order as a political peace offering.
She said the timing felt off — landing right after Trump refused to call Mamdani a “jihadist” and defended the incoming mayor during their meeting.
The Mamdani campaign didn’t respond to requests for comment. But on the trail, Mamdani brushed off accusations about his faith and views as “racist and baseless smears.”
Standing outside a Bronx mosque last month, he defiantly declared:
“I won’t change my name, my food, or my faith because political opponents want to weaponize my identity.”
A Base Temporarily Split — and a White House Trying to Re-center
Inside Trump World, some allies argued that although the executive order didn’t go as far as many wanted, it still showed the White House felt the pressure coming from its America First flank.
The weekend feud created collateral damage for Republicans like Rep. Elise Stefanik, who has campaigned hard on tying Governor Kathy Hochul to Mamdani’s far-left plans — proposals like government-run grocery stores and taxpayer-funded free buses.
Trump, in a matter of minutes, appeared to undercut that messaging when he wouldn’t echo Stefanik’s “jihadist” label.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon described the reaction inside the GOP:
“Friday rattled a lot of people — Stefanik, the NRCC, the anti-Sharia coalition. The comms teams realized they needed to pivot — fast.”
The White House Says the Timing Was Coincidence
A senior administration official insisted — under anonymity — that the Muslim Brotherhood order had nothing to do with Mamdani’s Oval appearance.
They emphasized the order merely begins a 75-day review process, directing the State and Treasury Departments, alongside the Attorney General and DNI, to investigate Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon.
Loomer wasn’t impressed.
“It’s not an actual designation. It’s an opening step — read the document.”
She and other influencers were furious that chapters tied to Qatar and Turkey were not included, especially given the deepening diplomatic ties those nations have forged with the Trump administration. (Qatar famously gifted the U.S. a $400 million luxury jet.)
Inside the Administration: “This Is Only the Start”
Sebastian Gorka, Trump’s deputy assistant and senior counterterrorism director, celebrated the order on X:
“This is Phase One. All jihadists are now in the scope — and anyone giving them aid.”
The executive action also aligns with renewed calls from Republicans like Sen. Tom Cotton and Rep. Stefanik for federal investigations into Brotherhood-linked funding networks.
Trump previously weighed a designation during his first term after meeting with Egypt’s President El-Sisi — and insiders say he’s been waiting for the right moment to reopen the fight.
The Political Fallout: Still Unsettled
Yet the Mamdani episode continues reverberating across the conservative movement.
Stefanik stood firm in her labeling of Mamdani despite Trump publicly declining to repeat it:
“He is a jihadist. President Trump and I disagree here.”
Still, she stressed unity on the broader mission of making New York safer and more affordable.
Other Trump allies insist the president handled the Mamdani meeting strategically. One insider suggested Trump wants zero responsibility for the chaos many expect Mamdani’s policies to create:
“When Mamdani’s plans fall apart — and they will — Trump doesn’t want him blaming the White House. He wants it crystal clear that Trump didn’t sabotage him or cut funding. Mamdani’s failures will be on Mamdani.”
Bottom Line
The past week has delivered:
- An Oval Office moment that rattled parts of MAGA
- A rapid-fire executive order targeting the Muslim Brotherhood
- A GOP messaging scramble
- New fissures between Trump allies
- Accusations of political damage control
- And fresh questions about how Republicans will weaponize Mamdani’s policies ahead of the midterms
This saga is far from over — and both the White House and Trump’s grassroots supporters know it.