What Zohran Mamdani's Wife And Melania Trump Have In Common

Incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani seems destined to get under Donald Trump's skin for the duration of their respective terms. Despite their mutual love for the city and their cordial post-election White House meeting, the two men's many differences — age, politics, religion — may end up being too much at odds. Their wives, however, are a different story. Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji, and First Lady Melania Trump have more in common than you might imagine. Both are younger than their husbands, though Duwaji's six-year age gap is considerably smaller than the Trumps' 24-year one. Additionally, the two first ladies grew up outside the U.S. Melania is a Slovenian native, while Texas-born Duwaji is of Syrian descent and moved to Dubai at the age of nine before moving to Virginia to finish college. 

Aesthetics play a large part in the lives of both women. Duwaji, who has an arts background, is a professional illustrator and animator whose works range from whimsical to political. She even designed her husband's campaign branding, subtly referencing the city through the color palette: Duwaji used the same shade of blue as the uniform of the Mets, a nod to Mamdani's home base of Queens.

Meanwhile, Melania Trump claimed to have briefly studied design and architecture before turning to modeling. She continues to showcase her interest in fashion and interior design through her personal style (Melania's expensive wardrobe is legendary) and her work decorating the White House, including the annual Christmas display (equally legendary, but for very different reasons). 

The biggest common denominator between the first ladies of the U.S. and NYC is their preference for remaining in the background. Melania Trump has generally stayed away from the White House during her husband's second term, making appearances only on special occasions or when promoting her particular cause, Fostering the Future. Rama Duwaji also keeps a low profile, refusing interviews and commentary about her new husband (she and Zohran Mamdani wed in February 2025), letting her splashy campaign signage do the talking instead. Her one exception was an Instagram post following the June primaries, showing a photo-booth strip of them together with the caption, "Couldn't possibly be prouder."

Don't confuse their silence for meekness, though; both first ladies avidly support their husbands behind the scenes. Speaking to CNN, Quinnipiac University professor Lisa Burns explained that Duwaji's professional artwork aligns with Mamdani's own views on human rights. "I'm starting to see some of that work merging, where the advocacy work that she is doing will support the work he is doing — even if it's separate — as opposed to detracting from it," Burns said.

For her part, Melania talks to the president privately about his plans and policies. "I gave him my advice, and sometimes he listens. Sometimes he doesn't, and that's okay," she told "Fox & Friends" shortly before the second inauguration (per YouTube). Trump definitely listened on at least one occasion — in July 2025, he credited Melania with helping him see that Vladimir Putin was being less than honest about his plans to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.