I've Had It - Zohran Mamdani State of Mind

Episode Date: September 2, 2025

NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani joins us to talk about his opponent's social media game, democratic socialism, fake news, and his break-out role in Oklahoma! the musical.Order our new book, join our cult, and more by clicking here: https://linktr.ee/ivehaditpodcast.Thank you to our sponsors:Bombas: Head over to https://Bombas.com and use code HADIT for 20% off your first purchase. ASPCA: To explore coverage, visit https://ASPCApetinsurance.com/HADIT.*The ASPCA® is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insuranceQuince: Keep it classic and cozy this fall with long-lasting staples from Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/hadit for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.This episode is brought to you by Booking.com: Find exactly what you’re booking for on Booking.com, Booking.YEAH!Homes.com: When it comes to finding a home - not just a house - we have everything you need to know, all in one place. https://homes.com. We’ve done your home work.Apretude by Viiv Healthcare: Learn more at https://APRETUDE.com or call 1-888-240-0340.Follow Us:I've Had It Podcast: @IvehaditpodcastJennifer Welch: @mizzwelchAngie "Pumps" Sullivan: @pumpspumpspumpsSpecial Guest: Zohran Mamdani @zohrankmamdaniSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your first great love story is free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at audible.ca slash Wondery. That's audible.com. So are we supposed to start the podcast? Do it. One, two, three. I'm so embarrassed. All right. Patriots, gay triots, they triots, black triots, brown triots. Welcome to America's top DEI podcast. from New York City. And you guys, I don't know if we're cool or if the stars are aligning, but we are here with New York City mayoral candidate, Zoran Mamdani. How are you today? I am doing great. It's such a pleasure to be here.

It's a big deal to be on America's top DEI podcast. Yeah. You know, that's how I know I made it. This is big leave. Regardless of what happens. It's not the primary win. That's right. We're right here.

This is it. This is where it's all happening. Okay, we like to ask all of our guests what they've had it with. So, Zoran, what have you had it with? I have had it with uncles asking me what's next. So everyone will be well acquainted with that moment in your life where you think you've done something and there will always be an uncle who whispers in your ear, where are you headed to next? Yeah.

And so I've, we've been doing photos and there'll be an uncle who whispers man, are you going to Senate, governor? Right. I'm like, this is a great place to be. Right. Why can't we just celebrate this moment? Do they also ask you, like, are there any kids in the work? Right.

Yes. This is a common question. But my parents are thankful that now the press corps gets to ask me the questions that they used to ask. They can just listen in. When is you going to have his first kid? No more get engaged. They're like, when are you going to have kids? It's like, do I have to do all this right now?

Just take a break. Yeah, that's a lot of pressure for people that don't have kids yet. There's like this just constant promoting of breeding. You know, like the promotion, like when are you going to breed? when are you going to do it? Yeah, it's a lot of pressure. All right, Pumps, what about you? What have you had it with?

Okay, I'm not technologically savvy. Okay. Really. Shut up. And what I've had it with is I always put in my wrong password. And then my computer says, do you want to save this password? And I'm like, no, because it's wrong. So then I have like four tries of different passwords and I never get it right.

So it's like, wait until I say save the password before you start asking me. Because I'm always putting in the wrong password and I have to go back. So I've had it with that. Technology's not, my friend. You're young. So you understand technology. I feel like I do, but even I'm already starting to feel a little bit out of it. Like left behind?

Yeah. When I started practicing law, there was no such thing as emails. That's how, or internet. We are in different places. She's a lot older. Yeah, I'm not going to say. Instagram is like a huge. I remember on the cell phone, remember during like the A.A.

You had no email when you started practicing law? When I started practicing law, there was no email. This is not only American. This is like pre-POMPilot. Yes. Yes. Pre-Blackberry, pre-all of it. We had those little things you would get at Best Buy.

I think it then was Circuit City. When you kept your calendar, like, it was a whole thing. And I remember when I moved out of my house, it was in the attic. And I was like, it's a dinosaur. Yeah, no, the only computer game that they had was Solitaire. Wow. That's crazy, isn't it? All right.

And I look so young. Oh. Yes. There's nothing little Botoxin. filler. That's right. No injections that I won't take. Okay. Let me tell you what I've had it with. Please. I have had it with politicians that think that they're badass and they act like they have courage. And in fact, I think they put on what I would call a profile in cowardice. One example would be little Marco Rubio, who I don't know, for years there is a video record of him having

clarity about authoritarianism, clarity about Vladimir Putin. You can go on and on, you know, J.D. Vance, who we call it a little smoky because of the smoky eye. And, you know, there's a lot of these right now. But one particularly when I think of New York that could put on a profile in cowardice is your opponent, Andrew Cuomo. Yes. And I just cannot believe the 180-degree turn where he's trying to act like this manosphere tough guy. Yeah. And he has abandoned all progressive beliefs that he had before. Like so many people, once they open up to Donald Trump, once they capitulate, they become worse and worse and worse. And Andrew Cuomo has capitulated to Donald Trump. And the moral rot has just absolutely followed. Yeah, I think you're

absolutely right. I think it just shows that he doesn't believe in anything. rather than his own power. And the fact that, you know, he believes that's his God-given right is to forever be leading the city or the state. And it's quite jarring for many who spent like me and like all of you, you know, months hearing from someone about how they would be the best person to take on Donald Trump and now have that same guy be the one who's on the phone with Donald Trump talking about how to stop our campaign. Think about how failed as a politician you would have to be. To call a man who clearly, in my opinion, I'm not a doctor, has full-blown dementia, who tried to give a microphone a blowjob on the campaign trail. Donald Trump did this. And he has to have a three-hour meeting where everybody tells him he's so great because he's that insecure. So how much has Andrew Cuomo fallen that right now currently he thinks the best thing for New Yorkers do is to call a demented man with muffin top cancles, bruises all over his hands, and an army of sycophants around him. I mean, how on earth is that going to help New Yorkers?

And then that makes me question his judgment. It makes me question Andrew Cuomo's judgment because I wouldn't call Donald Trump if he were the last person on the planet for advice. And calling him not just for advice, but for help. Right. Because Andrew Cuomo's path. in his mind is that Donald Trump intervenes in this race and makes what is a four-person race into a two-person race. And he does that by getting Eric Adams and Curtis Slewa out of it,

such that it's a one-on-one with Andrew Cuomo. Now, it's difficult for Andrew Cuomo to understand, but he would also lose that race as well. But still, he is trying everything he can do, not just to ask Donald Trump, but to say, can you help me? Can you actually make this a race that is easier for me? But when you think about it, Donald Trump, has a history of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct allegations. Andrew Cuomo has the exact same history. Neither really believe in anything except for being liked. And there's no, like, again, it's a profile and cowardice.

I don't see either one of them standing for anything. They just accept who has the biggest check right now. Who can write me the biggest check? And it's so obvious once you open up your eyes to it. But when you think about all the people surrounding Trump, it's almost like by design, it's a prerequisite that you have some sort of moral collapse in your background to be able to even talk to him. And I think Andrew Cuomo has this. I mean, he has often surrounded himself with the people who are quickest to say yes. Right. To any idea that he has. And, you know, his, when Andrew Cuomo entered this race, we put out a video, standing in front of Trump Tower

talking about the similarities between the two of them because it's not just the allegations it's not just believing in power above all else it's also a record of cutting Medicaid it's also a record of claiming to fight for working people

and then selling them out to the highest profile donors I mean before Elon Musk was running Doge at the behest of Donald Trump Andrew Cuomo was giving Elon Musk $959 million in tax breaks here in New York.

The stories have a lot of parallels, and that is part of, when people ask me, who's my biggest opponent in this race, I say it's not any one of the candidates on the ballot. It's the disaffection and despair that most New Yorkers feel when they think about politics, because that is what keeps so many home.

And I understand where they're coming from, because if you've seen this, and we're talking about in one hand a Republican, another hand, technically a Democrat, as it pertains to Andrew Cuomo, why would you continue to have faith? and our job now is to reckon with those betrayals and say that politics can be something else. It can be more than just this complacency, just this sense of looking at a cost of living crisis

that's spiraling out of control and pretending that we're just spectators to it as opposed to actors who are either choosing to stop it or exacerbate it. Right. Okay, I have a question on this. I'm from Oklahoma, so I'm way far removed from this. But every, I've never heard of anyone that's been a New Yorker that's like raw, raw. Donald Trump. So I find it odd that somebody who is so deeply unpopular in New York City that Andrew Cuomo would go to him for help. Like, that makes no sense to me. Well, first I have to say

that the first play that I started in middle school was Oklahoma. Really? I was kind of sweeping down the plains. Yeah. I was curly. Really? Jumping toadstools. That was one of my lines. That's amazing. They put a lot of makeup on me. But I do remember. remember that. It's a completely white production, as is everything in Oklahoma. I think I was pretty close. I think I was pretty close. But I think, you know, I think Andrew Cuomo is going to Donald Trump, not because Donald

Trump's endorsement would swing New Yorkers, but more because Donald Trump has the ability to narrow this race and to take a Republican candidate or an ostensibly Democrat. Now, Eric Adams, it's hard to know. how to describe him out of this race. That's one way and that's accurate. And to bully you. Yeah. And intimidate you.

And I think that what Andrew Cuomo doesn't seem to understand is that him and Donald Trump, there are two sides of the same coin that New Yorkers want to throw away into the dustbin of history, right? We want a new kind of politics. We had the option to elect our own bully and we chose not to do that. And why would we not make the same decision again in November? That's what he's having a hard time understanding because he just doesn't understand that no means no. I think something that's so interesting. And this doesn't get, a lot of people

don't realize this. But one thing that Andrew Cuomo and Donald Trump have in common is an affection and adoration towards authoritarian right-wing strongman. And Cuomo has an affection and adoration for war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu and volunteered to be his attorney. And, you know, this is really, it really rocks the conscience when you think about it that somebody who when I when you live in flyover states like we do when you think of New York you think of it as progressive on the cutting edge of human rights on the cutting edge of acceptance on the cutting edge of tolerance and we aspire as blue dots and red states aspire for that type of freedom that you have here in New York and when I think about a politician like Andrew Cuomo representing Benjamin

Netanyahu who is killing journalists intentionally because they are reporting on the famine and the starvation in Gaza. And then I think about what it means to be an American, specifically a Democrat in American and the value of free press and the value of human rights. And so I think that there's a lot more in common with Donald Trump and Cuomo than just the surface stuff we talked about. But this adoration and admiration, an admiration, of strongmen that want to oppress people seems to be something that is really getting contagious in the United States and it's really freaking me out. And that's why I think they're so threatened by you.

And they're talking about weightlifting or other stupid shit because you... I've had it with bench pressing. Yes. I've had it with plus. I've had it with calling me the gym. I'm just way overrated. No, I'm glad there's not a single New Yorker who voted for me on the premise of upper body strength. So we're feeling good about our chances in the general.

We're just where we were. We're just where we were. But I think, you know, to your point, it's it feels like this idea of values or international law or anything that we can hold on to has just been thrown away in view of a politics of might is right. That's just what people seem to be comfortable with. And I think, you know, this is not a intellectual or ideological concern for New Yorkers. I met a New Yorker who had more than 80 members of her family in Gaza killed by the Israeli military. How do you speak to that New Yorker, understand their pain, and then answer the question of how a leading candidate for mayor volunteered to defend the leader that effectively killed those families? family members. And, you know, you mentioned it's a famine, right? This is, we've just been just been

certified by international experts that at least half a million Palestinians are in immediate danger of starvation, of acute malnutrition, of death. And since then, just, you know, in the little more than a week, we've now seen the Israeli military bomb a hospital and then bomb those who are coming to assist in the, you know, recovery right after the double-tap strike. I mean, it is an affront to the conscience, and that what is so painful for us as Americans is that we are enabling this genocide. Right. It's not something that we're simply watching.

We're not witnesses to it. It's a continued decision by our federal government to allow for this. And the only position one has to take is to bring. this to an end. And yet here I am running against someone who, after having to resign in disgrace from leading the state, thought the best use of his time was to volunteer to defend Benjamin Netanyahu. Pumps and I need to share with everybody that we have written a book. It's called Life is a lazy Susan of shit sandwiches. And believe it or not, Pumps and I have not always been so rock solid. And we talk about all of our trials, tribulations, most of all are fuckups. Yes,

because fuck-ups are relatable and a part of the human experience. I have gotten so much feedback regarding the book that because of my situation with the religion and addiction and all that, that people relate to that. So I do think there's something to take away that's comforting about it because we've all been in very difficult situations. And listener, what we want you to do, this is The It Book for Summer Reading. So please get your copy of Life is a Lazy Susan of Shit Sandwiches and take a picture of yourself with the book in really great places and tag at i've had it podcast and we will share

your images with our summer it book you can buy it in bookstores you can buy it in the link in our bio you can buy it at target walmart amazon etc all the retailers happy reading and happy summer some might say homes.com is the best home shopping site could it be because it has a leak, spam-free site, or the most in-depth school info? Homes.com knows every parent wants the best for their kids, so they're the only ones with school and district details and reviews from multiple sources, including niche. It may be Homes.com's super comprehensive and transparent agent directory, or maybe, it's that Homes.com is the only site that always directly connects you with the listing agent who knows the home best. Perhaps it's because homes.com

has the most in-depth neighborhood content of any home shopping site that's extensively researched to highlight the personality of each neighborhood. Homes.com has 22 data visualization layers, seven environmental layers, and allows you to search by commute and architectural factors. It's the home search you've been searching for. Go to Homes.com today for home shopping the way it should be. Homes.com. We've done your homework. Today's episode is sponsored by the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Program.

Listener, I'm just going to tell you that Pumps and I are completely obsessed with our French Bulldogs. We have four between us. And there is nothing too good for these little angels. And that's why we are proud members of the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Program. I never want to be in a situation where I have to pick between my pets, health, and finances. It's too important. Listener, vet bills can really add up, especially when you're least expecting it. ASPCA, it's simple.

You use their app to submit a claim and you'll receive reimbursement for eligible vet bills directly into your bank account. To explore coverage, visit ASPCA petinsurance.com slash had it. That's ASPCA petinsurance.com slash had it. Again, that's ASPCA pet insurance.com slash had it. This is a paid advertisement. Insurance is underwritten by either Independence American Insurance Company or United States Fire Insurance Company and produced by PTZ Insurance Agency Limited. The ASPCA is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance.

Pumps, I love a seasonal change, and I particularly love fall. I love pulling out all of my cashmere sweaters, but each season I want something new, and that's why I can personally endorse Quince, Mongolian cashmere sweaters that start from just $50. I wear them, and I love them. I ordered one last year to try it out, ended up ordering three more. And I also love their wool coats. They look like their designer level, but cost a fraction of the price.

And the quality is just as good if not better. By partnering with ethical top tier factories and cutting out the middleman to deliver luxury quality pieces at half the price of similar brands. Listener, keep it classic and cozy this fall with long lasting staples from Quince. Go to quince.com slash had it for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, q-u-in-c-e dot com slash had it to get free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince.com slash had it. Listener, it's important that I just want to add some fact here that even Israeli human rights groups confirm everything that Zeran just said, that this is a genocide.

that this is aggression, war crimes by war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu. This is universally believed this way until you get into these far weird pockets of, you know, this weird masculinity thing that's clutching the world right now, you know, where you see somebody like Trump and Cuomo who used to be allegedly intellectually opposing and now they're on the same side. But I want to talked to you about something that I think about a lot. And when you came around, I, we have one of our first guests ever on this podcast, when we were baby podcasters, just less than three years ago, was a group out of New York and they're called the leftist tennis clubs. Leftist tennis. They wrote a manifesto about Pickleball. Okay. Against Pickable. Okay. And they came on our

podcast and the New York Times published their manifesto, and it is hilarious. It is like, tongue in cheek like pickleball is capitalism we have to stand up for tennis and they're very smart they're very clever so they uh they messaged me before i was aware of that there was even a new york mayoral race going on like hey you need to check out this guy i was like yeah yeah you we're too busy like monitoring trump and all this other stuff so then i really then you really started kind of hitting the national news and stuff and i was like oh my gosh and then i heard what you were saying and i was like oh my gosh i love this guy and then you win the primary not just kind of win right but like i mean like lebron james mj style dunked on it and i was

like oh my god yes we have a movement it has a face right and then i was like the endorsements and then you've got people that we've had on our podcast that i have found to be profoundly disappointing uh disappointing for not endorsing you while at the same time i hear people like Marjorie Taylor Green, having on a podcast with Steve Vannon, and let's not, I mean, let's not even joke around about this at all. Marjorie Taylor Green is an anti-Semite. I mean, there's just no question about it. But she's finding an argument that the Democrat should be making right now because she's a grifter. But her argument is MAGA isn't America first, they're Israel first. Look at what they're doing. And for people that live in all of these

flyover spaces that hear that, we're smart enough to know that they hear this bit of news and that business bit of news and it's going to resonate. And I'm worried that the message that you have, which is obviously where the Democratic Party needs to be, centrist politics led us to this moment. And I'm worried that some grifters on the right are going to misdirect this whole thing. And I'm wondering if you had any thoughts on that and where the party needs to go. because you've got two women from Oklahoma here that are like, this is the message. Thank you. I mean, truly, it really is the message.

You know, I think we've already seen an example of this very thing in Donald Trump's presidential campaign. He diagnosed a very real crisis of affordability. And when you asked a lot of people what his campaign was about, I would often hear cost of living, cheaper groceries. These were things that kept coming up. And when he won the presidency last November, we saw that in New York City, that there was a real rightward shift in the results. And we saw that it actually was happening far from the caricatures of Trump voters. It was happening in many times in the hearts of immigrant New York City. And so I went to two of those places. I went to Fordham Road in the Bronx. I went to Hillside Avenue in Queens.

And I asked New Yorkers, who did you vote for and why? And I heard Trump, Trump, Trump again and again and again. And when I asked why, I heard about rent. I heard about Con Edison, gas and electric. I heard about even metro cards. I heard about groceries. I heard about child care. I heard about how life was easier four years ago, how things seemed more in reach at that time and how Donald Trump had this message of change. And now we know him to be insincere. We know him to be ridiculous. We know him to be horrific. And yet, we also know that if you do not address the crisis that people are living through, if you tell them in fact that they are wrong, then they will not respond to you. You have to be able to have a politics that is responsive to people's everyday, not only needs, but concerns, anxieties. And we have run this race with a firm focus on what we think is the most pressing crisis, which is affordability.

I mean, this is the wealthiest city and the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and one and for our living in poverty all at the same time. And as you've said, if we don't address this, there will be others, especially in the Republican Party, who do. And instead of blaming the actual reasons that for this lack of affordability, instead of saying, oh, Eric Adams raised the rent by more than 10% on rent-stabilized tenants, or the fact that we continue to green light more and more gas and electric, you know, costs going up, or that we have actually increased the water bill to the highest

it's been in 13 years, that all this is from city government, state government, so much of our responsibility. If you don't take that on, someone like Donald Trump will come and say, this is happening, and you know who to blame? Immigrants. Right, right, right. Those drag queens. This is who's doing it too. Right. Right. And I think we need to be clear-eyed that if we don't address this crisis, someone else will, and they'll lead people in a completely different direction. Are you seeing a lot of in your polling, internal polling data? I remember AOC that there were people that voted for Trump and voted for her. And then she did like the Instagram live and kind of talked about it. Are you seeing that same thing where people that voted for Trump then in the primary went and voted for you? We have. And we've seen, you know, we've seen it in people that we've spoken to. And also just that the issues that people bring up, it's not as simplified. as politics is often discussed at a national level where people sort themselves into ideological

camps. You know, there are people for whom their number one issue is groceries, the cost of groceries, and they vote alongside that. And they kept hearing about it from Trump and they heard about it from us. And I think part of our posture has been we welcome anyone to join this movement. We don't ask them where they've been or why they haven't joined yet. We welcome them because I think too often we've practice the politics of purity where we ask you, you know, we badger you, we lecture you, we hecker you. There's the level of condescension about those who don't already agree with us. That is not how you welcome people in. Yeah. I think I do that sometimes. I was saying you're born, yeah, gifty.

No, that's a good reminder. No, it's a good reminder. See, this is why we need politicians. Like you're making us better already. Don't you feel better? I feel better. I'm going to be a little. little bit less bitchy the next time I'm judging a triple trumper what about you pumps I don't know it's gonna be tough I'm gonna try in your honor but it's gonna be hard it's gonna be tough okay so let's let me ask you some fun things what's one thing in politics that makes you say I've had it every single day honestly the campaign finance of it all yes oh my gosh and I'm I'm lucky that I'm here in New York City. We have the campaign finance board. There's a matching fund system. If a New Yorker gives 10 bucks, it's matched eight to one. And that's incredible. And yet still,

you have super PACs that can completely reshape a race. And in the primary, we survived more than $30 million in opposition spending. It's amazing. And it's both incredible. And yet it shouldn't take this much to get to this point. You shouldn't have to wake up one morning and find out that when your friend turns on TV, there's seven ads and they're all sponsored by DoorDash and whomever else attacking and smearing and slandering your campaign. And I think it's part of the results that we see across this country are directly tied to the fact that people can buy elections. Yeah. Right. And it's just such an absurd inversion of what democracy is supposed to be. I completely agree. Let's talk about this. Like the idea of you to certain people like maybe a

Jewish person or a person that's been really good at capitalism. Like maybe they have a hedge fund and they've like crushed it or they own DoorDash or they own Uber. They have this fear towards you. Like I'll give you an example. I went to a engagement party in Oklahoma City a couple weeks ago and the couple that was getting married Jewish and said, oh, I love your podcast, blah, blah, blah. I said, oh, yeah, we're going to New York. We're going to Zorn Mamdani on. And she went, and I went, you're the biggest Democrat on the planet. And she's like, oh. And she was like, isn't he? And I'm like, he is not anti-Semitic. He is a candidate for everybody, for workers, for everybody that's been left behind. And you see like there's certain triggers that you trigger

in people. And it's this fear. What do you have to say to the stereotypes that are built in to maybe what you look like or maybe the fact that you're Muslim or maybe the fact that you've really had moral clarity on Israel, Gaza, or the fact that you have real moral clarity about, you know, billionaires paying more in taxes? What do you say to the people that are progressive by nature, but there's something about you that triggers this default setting of fear inside them? Well, the first thing is I don't begrudge them because if they turn on TV or open up a newspaper, they'll often engage with a caricature of me. Right. And if that's all I read about myself, I'd probably have concerns too. And it's an opportunity for me to introduce myself as I actually am because so often the fear mongering is so immense. I mean, I had a guy come up to me and say, I heard you're going to be the first Muslim mayor.

And I said, yeah. He said, I heard that we might not be able to buy alcohol in New York City. And I was like, who are you buying alcohol from now? A Muslim guy at your bodega, most likely. And I think it's like, you're going to be fine. Yeah. So some of it is, you know, it borders on the absurd. But some of it is also that, you know, we see that it's a lot of what our campaign is portrayed as,

as if there is no precedent for it. Think about Democratic Socialism. I am a Democratic Socialist. I also wouldn't be the first Democratic Socialist mayor. We've had a number. And we've even had a mayor who was a member of the Democratic Socialist of America. That's David Dinkins, you know, not just a few decades ago. And people ask me, how can this interact with New York City being the home of global finance?

And I say my focus, as a Democratic socialist, is ensuring that every New Yorker lives a dignified life. that is my responsibility to ensure that what you need, what is necessary for you, is something that you're not priced out of. Not what you want, not what you'd like, but we all understand people need K through 12 education. So we have public schools. But for some reason, we think that childcare is something that you could be priced out of before you get to K through 12. That it's okay that New Yorkers have to spend $25,000 a year procuring childcare. I believe that the city should provide universal child care. And this is something that I've sought to share with people about what our vision is and the fact that if they have

questions, if they have concerns, I'm here to answer them because what oftentimes people are worried about is what Andrew Cuomo is telling them, which bears no relation to what we're actually talking about or fighting for. It's so true. The fear-mongering stuff, it's very easy. Certain people I have found recently are really, really scared of a lot of things, particularly like right-wing people. If you think about the list of the people that they're scared of, it grows by the day.

You've got drag queens, trans people, Muslim people. They've added the liberal white woman. You guys just got out of it? Yeah, we got out of it. The liberal white woman. The water's just fine. Yes. I like this group a lot better.

But it is this, it is this masculinity thing that's like merged with capitalism and sometimes religion and patience. and patriotism. Like we talk about it. We see it all the time on flights. Like when we flew up here, I saw a guy and he had on like this MAGA-coded merch and it's like Patriot Warrior. Didn't quite say MAGA, but you know. And what's interesting is we talk about politics all the time in the pot is underneath

that is there's some brokenness or left behind. And so I feel like your campaign, I heard you speaking one time when the leftist tennis people turned me on to you. I heard you speak. about the people that make New York City run. And anybody who's ever been to New York, lives in New York, there is an engine of workers and people that make it run. And I just think there's so much courage in fighting for those people legitimately, not in a grifty way, you know, but a legitimate way. And I just, I love so much that you're doing this. You're too

polite, but I'm going to go on the permanent record and just state it really pisses me on. that a lot of people in the Democratic establishment have not endorsed you. And it's not going unnoticed. We have a lot of followers. We've spoken about this with other podcasters in the left. And I know that you're staying out of all of that. And I respect that you're not a titty baby like Trump complaining because somebody didn't support you. But I just want you know the fact that you're not bad about it makes us triple mad.

And we will just be warned of the liberal white woman. Yeah. Be very careful. Very careful. We're going to live out on that. Pumps. Absolutely. Okay. You know, Elizabeth Warren, one of my favorites. We love her. She came right out. She's from Oklahoma originally. Really? Yes. She's born in Oklahoma City. Yes. Isn't that crazy? That's okay. We love her. That liberal white woman. There's a liberal white woman. Hey. Okay. I have a question. I immediately heard

when you won by a landslide. He can't support Jewish people. He can't represent Jewish people. I thought, boy, that's a window into your soul, isn't it? So how do, how do you respond to that? Because I find that so offensive. One of the most beautiful things about the city is its rich legacy of a Jewish community. And I mean, the cultural legacy, the legacies that we've all grown up with. And, you know, I moved to the city when I was seven years old. I grew up in Morningside Heights. And so much of my introduction to New York City was also an introduction to Jewish communal life. I mean, I remember coming back from my sixth bar mitzvah and asking my dad, why don't we, why don't we do these? Do we have anything like this?

I was like, we don't have anything. I remember the first part, that's where I went to. I was like, this is amazing. This is so cool. Yeah. And I think that it's, you know, also to the earlier point of so many of these people's concerns are so removed from what New York City life is like, right? This is a city that is a celebration of the possibility of all of us from everywhere across the world of all different religions being able to flourish in the same place. And my commitment is a commitment to not only protect.

Jewish New Yorkers amidst this rising anti-Semitism, but also a commitment to ensure the flourishing of Jewish life. And I think that that is what I share with New Yorkers each and every day, that this will be a city that is not remade in my image. It's going to be remade in the image of struggling New Yorkers, of those who so often would have had what they needed to live a real fulfilling life, but now we're in danger of being priced out of the city they call home. I just want to say that I think as somebody who lives in a flyover state, the New York mayor race right now for me is so important because it shows America where you have a lot of Americans right now that are reverting.

They're being very regressive in thoughts about white nationalism and things. It reminds them that we are a nation of immigrants and you can come here and you can run for mayor, build businesses, build families. And I think we're best when we celebrate multiculturalism. And I think the freest city in the world where you feel the most freedom, the less judgment on the planet is this city right here, New York City. I can't even begin to tell you how judgmental they are in the Bible Belt. This episode of I've Had It is brought to you by booking.com. Booking. Yeah. From vacation rentals to hotels, Across the US, booking.com has the ideal summer stay for absolutely anyone, even those who

might seem impossible to please. Whether you're booking for yourself, your partner, your picky teens, or your sleep light early rise mom, you can find exactly what you're booking for on booking.com. I personally just booked a trip for my sons and I to go to New York City and I found the perfect hotel in the perfect location, and we were able to tackle the city with enthusiasm and convenience, and I just absolutely love this site. If our family can find their perfect stay on booking.com, anyone can. Find exactly what you're booking for. Booking.com booking. Booking. Yeah. Book today on the site or in the app. This ad is brought to you by VIV health care. The makers of Appritude, Cabotegrivir. You never skip your SPF and you carry

hand sanitizer like an accessory, but what are you doing for HIV prevention? One way to help protect yourself from HIV is Appritude. A prescription medicine used to reduce the risk of getting HIV in adults and adolescents weighing at least 77 pounds. You must be HIV negative to receive Appritude and get tested before each injection. If you think you are exposed to HIV or have flu-like symptoms, tell your doctor right away. More HIV testing may be needed. Appritude does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections. Practice safer sex to reduce your risk. Get Appritude as scheduled. Missing doses increases your HIV risk. Don't take Appritude if allergic to it or taking certain medicines that may interact. Tell your doctor about your

medical conditions, liver problems, and mental health. Serious side effects include allergic reactions or rash, liver problems, and depression. If these occur, get medical help right away. The most common side effect is injection site reaction. Bring your A game and talk to your doctor. Learn more at appritude.com or call 1-88-240-0-340. All right, listener, Summer's here, and we're all chasing something. I'll tell you what I'm chasing is a better forehand. You all know I think I'm really good

at tennis. And my tennis merch and swag that I wear directly impacts my game. That's why I cannot share enough with you how much I love bombus socks. Seriously, they are so fantastic. They wick the sweat. They help keep my feet cool. They fight blisters. And they make specialized pairs for hiking, tennis, golf, you name it. Bomba's is simply head to toe comfort. Plus, the best thing of all, they don't just feel good. Bombas actually does good. And this makes me feel so good about purchasing their products. One purchase equals one donated item to someone who needs it. And I think that's just really neat. Listener, head over to bombas.com and use the code had it for 20% off your first purchase. That's BOM. BAS.

dot com code had it at checkout bombas dot com and be sure to use the code had it okay we're going to play a game with you this is going to be really fun i'm going to list uh a couple of tweets or headlines and i'm and you're going to tell me if you think it's real or if we've made it up and it's fake okay okay here's a tweet from andrew quomo in case you forgot i'm andrew quomo the son of Mario, grandson of Andrea. Welcome to the heavyweight bout at Zoron K. M. Donnie. This is a two-man race. You look tired already.

It's just the second round. Real or fake? Real. Real. Okay, we had a conversation about this. I thought he was trying to flex about his dad. I don't know why he threw grandma in. What do you think that was?

I mean, I was trying to be logical. a bunch of progressives look i'm a nepo baby i don't know i don't get it i just here's what i wonder and i and i'm not obviously this applies to andrew quimmo but other politicians too when it's over it's over yeah you have to go out gracefully like i feel like everything he's ever accomplished now has a stain on it because of this kind of thing he just couldn't let it go i asked her like three days after the primary i was like i thought andrew crombo got his ass kicked what's going on And she had to explain it to me. I'm like, at some point the people around you say, it's over.

It's enough. He doesn't keep those people around. Oh, it's like the Donald Trump thing, like you were saying. And I think, you know, he was actually quite graceful when he called me on election night. Was he? He called me and he said, you ran the better campaign. You engaged young people. Tonight is your night.

And if it's all right with you, I'm going to go out and I'm going to say that we spoke. And I shared this. I said, absolutely. And that moment of grace has sadly been a fleeting one for him because it's, this is a public processing of the fact that he lost and lost by a margin of 13 points. And so much of his persona is a persona of strength and inevitability. And to have that just taken from you, it leaves you sending these kinds of tweets. speaking of this okay here's another one uh andrew quomo tweets just fixed a flat with nothing but a paperclip and my charm not all heroes wear capes somewhere white tailored suits at zoron k mamdoni still can't

handle the gas i think this is real it's fake oh my gosh that's how bad it is though that's how bad You might have written his next tweet. Great. Okay, okay. Here's some more. Okay, here's Andrew Cuomo. Fun fact, I don't need a scavenger hunt. People already know where to find me on top.

Hashtagged Built Different. This is fake. Yes. I know he was angry about the scavenger hunt. Okay, here's. I don't think he's gotten to hashtag. Here's Eric Adams. I'm sure a scavenger hunt was fun for the people with nothing.

better to do. Ask our working families trying to do whatever they can to survive if they participated. Ask the people worried about making rent if they thought it was worth it. Ma'am, Donnie is trying to turn our city into the squid games. I think that's real. It's real. It's just this is a guy whose administration has had fun doing illegal things. Right. And now thinks it's illegal to have fun. I mean, but here's. the thing, you are so clean and good at this. They're mad at you for having a scavenger hunt. Yeah. Right. You know what I mean, it's like. But I think it's, it's, you know, there is room for joy in our politics. Yes. As kind of corny as it may sound, if all we ever do

is struggle and fight, we will exhaust ourselves. We have to also have a vision of what life could be like, what we're fighting for. And we had 4,000 New Yorkers come out for the scavenger hunt. And I met a number of them at the end of it. And, you know, there was one mom who came from New Jersey with her three kids. And she said, you're going to have me moving to New York because we came here just to have a good day together. It was a Sunday. And I think that we've often forgotten that there is also supposed to be rest in people's lives, not just work. Right.

You know, I mean, like, nine to five, it now just feels like it's all it is is a Dolly Parton song. Yeah. Because for so many New Yorkers. they work far more than that. It's not that work week any longer. But we've gotten to a point where we've glamorized that as if it is a sign of a healthy society when in fact we should glamorize people having weekends,

people being able to spend time with their friends and family, people being able to do things beyond just hustling and struggling. And I think part of the inability of Cuomo and Adams to understand the scavenger hunt is that they don't understand the room in a working person's life for rest, relaxation for time. And I would just say they're fun haters. Yeah, that was a nice way

for you to put it. I'm going to go on the record Andrew Cuomo. If you only have two seconds, Eric Adams, they're fun haters. Okay, now I'm going to do some headlines and you tell me if they're real or fake. All right, this is a headline. I believe okay, yeah. Riley Gaines' latest

to mock Zorn Mamdani for his ma'am Scromney Jimfail. I'm absolutely judging a politician for how much he can bench gain says real it's real yeah and i just want to point out for the permanent record that she tied for fifth she tied for fifth place so had to be honest i wasn't really sure who she was oh my gosh but there are many who can bench more than me and they're all welcome right

okay here's another headline democrats like zoron mam dony claim to embrace young people they're betraying them fake Real. Oh, okay, real. Okay. Let's see. Here's one. Okay. Queens politician, Ma'am Donnie, claims New York needs fewer cops, more community drum circles. That's fake. Fake. I was like, I know this is false.

It's so great for those of you that aren't watching that are listening. He's really clinging on to everything. Yeah, he's like analyzing every word. You won't believe what news articles read. Here's another one, headline. And NYC will be turned into a sewer again under Mamdani. Fake. Real.

Wow. Where? Fox business. Okay. Yeah, well. Shout out to my friends at Fox Business. Oh, they hate us too. Okay.

Here's another one. NYC billionaire Likens Democratic Socialist Mamdani campaign promises to those of Castro. Fake? Real. Okay. Who was that? I don't have my glasses. Okay.

All right. Last one. Zoran Mamdani thinks Wokeness can pay the rent. Fake. Fake. Okay. You nailed it.

Okay. There we go. You can't. It can't. Wokenness. You're so earnest. I just don't know. Yeah.

The crazy crap is so crazy that you, it really is stranger than fiction. You hear that all the time. Truth is strange. Yeah. If I saw a movie. of Donald Trump, I would not believe it's real. Yeah. Like that whole circle jerk of the cabinet meeting, I would have been like, there's no way

that happens, none. Sure does. And there's so many examples in our politics here where it's hard to believe. But I mean, even like, think about it. If I had told you that a top Adams advisor would be found giving a wad of cash in a bag of potato chips to a journalist, that would seem absurd. Right. You know, but this is what is happening.

I mean, we had the mayor's top advisor, Ingrid Lewis Martin, take bribes of clam cakes and a cameo in a Hulu show in order to stop the opening of a safer street, McGinnis Boulevard. It's like, you just wouldn't believe that this is the kind of level of corruption that's going on in front of us. Okay, I kind of would because of the whole Eric Adams and I was reading that. And I was like, wow, he's really, really correct. What do you do? There was all kinds of stuff. He was taking bribes, right?

Kickbacks. Yeah, I mean, there have been all kinds of allegations with him. Trump, of course, stopped at all. He, the most recent ones have to do with his advisors. Right. The ones, you know, where he has this one advisor, Ingrid Lewis Martin. She received, I think, more than 100,000. thousand dollars in bribes it is alleged but also she is someone who i mean it's it's just so

nakedly corrupt right you have these kind of local um this this family called the argentos and they run like a film production um in greenpoint and they didn't want there to be the creation of a bike lane and so they they just donated directly in the allegations say either to her son or in free catering or in a cameo alongside Forrest Whitaker. And then all of a sudden, the bike lane is gone for half of the street. I mean, it's crazy. It's crazy. Okay, here's some fun questions before we wrap. Who pretends to be progressive in New York politics, but is really just a corporate sellout? I mean, Andrew Cuomo. Come on. Okay. If you had to pass a law banning one everyday New York behavior like tourists stopping in the middle of the sidewalk or landlords hiking the rent what would

it be okay those are vastly different levels of importance do a petty do a petty and do it legit okay petty petty petty you got to walk fast in New York City I agree completely agree and single file a single file yeah you can't hold hands and walk it's just not convenient for everybody else what the romance have you seen his subway thing with his wife in the subway photo shoot. You can't be closer behind her. You can grab on her hips. Pumps is America's most popular asexual. I am. That's true. I don't believe in romance. It is an honor to meet you. D.E.I. and asexual. And America's grandmother who didn't have email when she started practicing law. I don't know if I'm with you on single five, but it's got to be fast.

It's got to be fast. And I think there's room for everybody. There's tourists. There's New Yorkers, but she's got to walk fast. I have to say everybody says New Yorkers is so rude. Yesterday, I was going around in a corner trying to find the downtown RW. And I was just finding the uptown, and I asked this woman, she was the sweetest thing on the planet and she helped me. I have never had a New Yorker be read to me when I asked for directions, not once. We're good people. We're just in a rush.

Somebody has noticed the directions yesterday, too. It's like, well, I don't know. What did you say? I said, I just got no two. I might look all sophisticated, but I'm still walking around trying to find the downtown line. Look for Oklahoma. Okay, what's the most capitalist thing you secretly enjoy? The most capitalist thing I secretly enjoy.

Is it Uber black? No, it's not Uber black. Okay, here's a product from a company that I can't live without. Okay. Hagen-Daz coffee ice cream. That's good. Oh, that sounds good. I just had a Pevalovian reaction when you said that.

Yeah. And the big tub. Not the. You don't go for the. individual. No, let's just, let's just like, come on. How much you eat in a night? How much coffee ice cream? And you're eating this in bed or on the sofa? It depends. Sometimes it's on the move between the bed and the sofa. Okay. You know, you got to just have it with you. Right out of the tub? Right out of the tub. Right out of the tub. Right out of the tub. Yeah, okay. You know,

for me, it's coffee for my wife, Dolcealeche. That's her favorite flavor. Okay. But yesterday I was at my local supermarket and I'm looking at the haggendaz that's there and I can't see coffee. And You know that they're the other flavors behind, right? Right, right. So I'm, like, rummaging, and then I look. Fogs at the whole thing. Like, rummaging, and this woman looks at me, and she's like, oh, my God. And I'm just like, I wonder what image this looks like of the Democratic nominee looking past cookies and cream, past vanilla bean, looking for coffee.

She's like, are you a, she said, are you an ice cream fan? I said, yes, yes, I am. One in particular. Just looking for my coffee. Did you find it? I did. sent your ascension to like national recognition because this happens to us all the time because we've had the podcast for less than three years like someone will see me and they're like and I'm like oh what is like I look around and I'm like oh it's me like does that ever happen to you where somebody's like and you're like what what are they talking about oh I forgot I'm running for mayor it is they've seen me on TV it is a it is a big shift I mean even just in how we ran the primary race it was just you know us running around this city. I mean, quite literally, sometimes on a city bike or walking or taking the train

or whatever it was. And now you can't quite do it that way because most of this is a beautiful reason that New Yorkers are so excited. But, you know, when you take the train, you got to be ready to talk to people because people are so excited that you're there. And that's lovely. But it is also a little bit of a, it's hard to believe in your own city that people are looking at you. Right. Right. Yeah. So much of what it means to New Yorkers, you're just on your way. Going to your, wherever you're going. Don't care. Yeah. Mind your own business.

That's a beautiful thing about New York. They mind their own business. But there is a... I love that. What are you doing here? What are you doing at the Seatown looking for a big tub of coffee with Hagenas ice cream? I'm sorry. She's like, don't you have people for that?

We haven't found the guy yet. The Hagenas position is still open. Please submit applications. Please submit applications. Well, I cannot tell you how enjoyable this has been. We love, love, love New York City. I love what you're doing nationally, which I know it's not your intention, but it is. There is a trickle down of empathy and a trickle down of competence that people are recognizing that is a breath of fresh air that, you know, my mother and I need.

Shut up. I'm mading Jennifer out. She was a huge crush on Zoron. No, she's lying. Jennifer has a huge crush on Zoron. She says she doesn't. So I've modified it to an intellectually stimulated crush. Okay, listen.

So we'll do that. I'm going to let me all have it. I just have to tell you every day on the podcast, it's like, oh, we're talking about this. Well, Zoran Mandami says, I have. She has. I mean, it's been flying out of her mouth. Because we need, we need a sane person right now that has the message to go forward. And I think we have to move our party.

We have the leaders that we have. This is who we have right now. nothing we're trying to fight against fascism so we're trying deep in the bible belt to move people this way and so i cannot thank you enough for having us on if you win when you win the boss of all the mayors is the mayor of oklahoma city yes his name is mayor david and he's lovely okay and he is our friend he's been on our podcast and he's like the he's the boss of the mayors it's like the president of the mayor's association or whatever he's about six foot six maybe he's big and Oklahoma City Thunder.

I know, but he's the nicest man on the planet. He is. The best day of his life was Oklahoma City Thunder winning the NBA title. Yes. I mean, he just- We will introduce you when you win. He is lovely. He is fabulous.

And I think mayors do such important work because politicians in red states are consistently disappointing, but we have a lovely mayor in Oklahoma City. And it's a very local and. fabulous and he cares about everybody in every single community he advocates for. So it's great. Zoran, thank you for coming. Thank you. I hope you with. Thank you. We got this. We got this. Yeah. I bet you're feeling good. Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Monday through Friday, every day, 15 to 20-minute hot takes on the political landscape of the

United States of America always served with a side of petty grievances. We are on all the available platforms, Apple, Spotify, Google, whatever you get your podcast and YouTube. Please go rate, subscribe, and reviews so that we will chart upwards with America's greatest legal mind, pumps. Pumps, what does an eagle say? Caca! A little bit more enthusiasm.

Caca! That's it. That's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's the patriotism that this country means right there.