Trump threatened media, businesses, universities. They paid him millions of dollars, fired staff, changed policy, altered curricula. Trump threatened if the "lunatic communist" was elected mayor of New York he would end federal aid, send troops, even possibility of denaturalizing and deporting Mamdani was floated.
He has for now taken it all back. For the price of a smile and photo op. Mamdani, who must have been a snake charmer in a previous life, gave up nothing.