Ep. 80 | NYC's Next Mayor Won't Condemn Hamas & The Dark Money Behind No Kings Protests

Buckle up, friends—this episode is PACKED. Rachel and Meseidy dive into the chaos of New York’s mayoral race where Zuhair Mondani is about to take the wheel (gulp), break down a terrifying discovery about a Hamas-linked illegal immigrant who lied his way into Louisiana, and dissect the “No Kings” protests that somehow managed to be both massive and completely aimless. Oh, and we’ve got to talk about that AI poop video Trump posted because, yes, that’s where we are as a country. From Caroline Levitt’s legendary “your mom” clapback to the Huffington Post, to Karine Jean-Pierre’s delusional book tour, to the rare earth deal with Australia that nobody’s talking about—we’re covering it all. Plus: why the shutdown messaging battle is harder for Republicans than it should be, what the Democrat party’s radical restructuring actually looks like, and why Rachel simultaneously loves and hates everything about this administration’s communication style. It’s exhausting, it’s infuriating, it’s occasionally hilarious, and honestly? We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Episode Highlights

• Mondani’s Terrorist-Linked Imam Photo-Op - New York’s mayoral frontrunner poses with a Brooklyn imam connected to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing while refusing to condemn Hamas, and somehow Democrats think this is fine.
• Louisiana’s October 7th Participant - A Palestinian national who participated in the October 7th attacks lied on his visa application, waltzed into the US during the Biden administration, and was finally caught when Trump’s team started re-vetting applications.
• The “No Kings” Protest Data Drop - American University researchers reveal the typical DC protester was a 44-year-old white woman who heard about it on Instagram and literally couldn’t name a policy issue motivating her—just “Trump.”
• Caroline Levitt’s “Your Mom” Heard ‘Round the World - The 27-year-old White House Press Secretary responds to a Huffington Post hit piece setup with the most millennial comeback in political history, and honestly, we’re here for it.
• The Poop Video Discourse - Trump posts an AI video of himself dropping waste on protesters and somehow this becomes a 48-hour news cycle while the rare earth minerals deal with Australia gets completely ignored.

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Chapters

00:00 Busy Day at the White House

03:02 Demolition and Controversy

06:02 Trump’s National Guard Win

09:05 New York Mayoral Race

11:50 Mondani’s Controversial Connections

17:32 Democratic Party Dynamics

22:22 No Kings Protest Overview

32:51 Protests and Participation Dynamics

34:59 The Role of Trump in Political Mobilization

36:11 Violence and Protest Rhetoric

38:20 Signs of Discontent: Analyzing Protest Messages

41:48 Counter-Protests and Public Engagement

44:36 Understanding the Impact of Leadership on Protests

47:44 The Permission Structure for Violence

49:58 Funding and Organization of Protests

54:25 Media Representation and Political Messaging

01:02:46 The Impact of AI in Political Discourse

01:07:48 Democratic Party Dynamics and Internal Struggles

01:08:43 Humor and Controversy in Political Communication

01:16:38 Policy vs. Style: Evaluating Trump’s Administration

01:22:16 Global Politics and Future Implications

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