The two men had last spoken in 2017, about the Gateway project, a series of long-planned upgrades to train tunnels linking Manhattan to New Jersey and serving the entire Northeast Corridor.

Trump now told Nadler that he had seen him on television, and that he thought Nadler was “tough.” Trump repeated that assessment several times, adding that he wished the congressman well and wanted to know if he could do anything more. The two men did not discuss politics or impeachment according to a person familiar with the call.

The White House declined to comment on the record, but the seeming warmth of the conversation — however brief — contrasts sharply with what Trump has said of Nadler previously. In a meeting with Republicans this spring, Trump reportedly called Nadler, who underwent weight-loss surgery years ago, “Fat Jerry.”