Zohran Mamdani just reshaped New York politics — and maybe the national conversation too. I was on the fence going into the NYC mayoral primary. Mamdani’s campaign had energy, ideas, and a clear message, while Andrew Cuomo’s felt like a dusty rerun nobody asked for. But I still assumed Cuomo’s name, connections, and donor base would carry him through. I shouldn’t have. Mamdani didn’t just win — he torched the field in the first round. Cuomo saw the writing on the wall and didn’t even wait for ranked-choice voting to play out. He conceded outright.

Now Mamdani isn’t just a local story — he’s a national one. Republicans have already started holding him up as the new face of the Democratic Party, especially in swing districts. He’s a self-described socialist who just beat one of the most recognizable Democratic names in the country. That’s political catnip for the right. Trump himself mentioned Mamdani on Truth Social. Conservative influencers are hammering him daily. Whether Mamdani likes it or not, he’s been drafted into a larger culture war — and every policy, every quote, every tweet is going to be scrutinized at the national level from here on out.

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And it’s not just Republicans reacting. Democrats are watching closely too, especially younger progressives who now see a viable path forward in big-ticket races. Mamdani ran a campaign that wasn’t afraid of bold ideas — rent freezes, public banking, and fare-free transit — but he didn’t couch it in academic jargon. He went neighborhood to neighborhood, meeting people where they were, and speaking plainly. That’s going to be studied. That’s going to be copied. And in a party that often struggles to translate left-wing policy into real-world messaging, Mamdani may have just written the playbook.

The irony is that Mamdani’s win might breathe new life into Eric Adams — the guy the establishment tried to sideline. After the FBI raid and months of bad headlines, Adams looked like political toast. The party scrambled to swap in Cuomo as the “safe” option. But now that Cuomo’s been humiliated, the same centrists who cast Adams aside are lining up to support him in the general. That’s politics — ruthless and fast-moving. Expect a soft-focus profile in the New York Times Magazine before the fall: “Still Here: Why Eric Adams Never Gave Up on New York.”

What makes this even more fascinating is that Mamdani’s campaign actually had real working-class appeal. He didn’t just preach to the progressive base. He campaigned across the entire city, even in neighborhoods where he was bound to lose. He framed his message in economic terms that resonated across ideological lines. That’s not something many on the left do well. If Mamdani can sustain that balance — if he can speak to both the base and the broader public — he may become more than a lightning rod. He could become a blueprint. But first, he’s got to win the general. And now that Adams is back in the game, the gloves are coming off.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:21 - Zohran Mamdani

00:10:13 - Interview with David Litt

00:34:49 - Update

00:35:32 - Big Beautiful Bill Push

00:39:47 - Elise Stefanik Gov. Race

00:41:42 - Planned Parenthood Supreme Court Ruling

00:45:06 - Interview with David Litt, con't.

01:10:12 - Wrap-up

The big headline, of course, this week is Iran. The White House says Iran has everything it needs to build a nuclear weapon. That’s where we are. Trump has about two weeks to decide whether to launch an attack. The reporting right now focuses on what kind of strike it would take to actually stop the program — could our bunker busters get the job done, or are those centrifuges buried so deep we’d need to soften the ground with conventional bombs first? There’s even been talk — not a plan, just a technical example — of how only a tactical nuke could fully destroy Fordo. That’s not where we’re at, but it tells you how seriously the Pentagon is gaming this out.

And honestly, I don’t see a deal coming. Iran’s regime can’t afford it. Giving up the nuke means giving up the one thing that lets them project power, and domestically, it would be political suicide. You don’t stay in charge in Tehran by backing down on Israel and nukes — not unless you’re planning an escape to Moscow and retirement in a palace somewhere. That’s not happening. My bet: Fordo gets hit. And when it does, the question is what follows.

The Elon-MAGA Rift Deepens

Meanwhile, Elon Musk continues his very public, very messy split with Trump World. After his earlier apology tour seemed to smooth things over, Musk reignited tensions by calling Trump advisor Sergio Gore a “snake.” This all goes back to their feud over NASA leadership and White House staffing — and it’s clear Musk isn’t letting it go. Vice President JD Vance jumped in to defend Gore, and the White House insists Gore is fully cleared and doing his job. The result? Elon drifts further from the MAGA core. He wanted to be at the table, but he keeps setting fire to the chairs.

And look, this is classic Elon. He’s always clashed with people he once partnered with — OpenAI, Trump, now Gore. He moves fast, burns bridges, and expects to build new ones just as quickly. But politics isn’t tech. There’s only so many seats at the table, and right now, he’s playing himself out of them.

ICE Raids, Reversals, and the Trump Balancing Act

Immigration remains the other pressure point. Trump’s team initially paused ICE raids targeting agriculture and hospitality — a move that shocked his hardline base. But now they’re back on, with priority given to workers with criminal records. Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, is clear: enforcement continues, but it’s targeted. The message to farmers? There are legal ways to hire, and if Congress won’t fix the system, they’ll enforce the laws that exist.

It’s classic Trump tension: the balance between policy purity and practical impact. He built his coalition on immigration hard lines and anti-interventionism. That’s what set him apart. Now, those promises are being tested — at home and abroad. And we’re about to see how far he’s willing to push before the cracks show.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:51 - Iran

00:05:29 - Solving Immigration with Andrew Heaton

00:26:54 - Update

00:27:27 - Elon

00:31:07 - ICE Raids

00:33:43 - Solving Immigration with Andrew Heaton, con’t

01:00:42 - Wrap-up