Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté

Why Trump Threatened to DEPORT Zohran Mamdani

·38 min·3 clips

Zohran Mamdani's shocking mayoral primary win has Democratic leaders refusing to endorse their own candidate.

The episode opens with hosts Katie Halper and Aaron Maté introducing Zohran Mamdani's shocking win in the New York City mayoral primary, noting Democratic establishment reluctance to endorse him due to his progressive and pro-Palestine stance. They then critique both parties, starting with Democrats: Chuck Schumer's move to force Republicans to rename their 'big, beautiful bill' is highlighted as performative, while Hakeem Jeffries' marathon speech and baseball bat photo are mocked as ineffective optics. The hosts shift to Republican policies, playing a clip of Congressman Andy Ogles claiming Medicaid recipients are 'losers in his mama's basement playing video games,' with estimates that millions could lose health insurance. They fact-check Ogles, noting undocumented people don't get Medicaid and his mixed-up stereotypes. The 'Isn't That Weird' segment features Leo Terrell, head of Trump's anti-Semitism task force, demanding the return of hostage Hadar Goldin, who was killed by Israel in 2014 under the Hannibal Directive. The 'Terrible Iron' segment covers Pastor John Hagee of Christians United for Israel, who believes the Holocaust was God's plan and supports Trump's Iran policy. After ads, guests Liza Featherstone and Theodore Hamm join to discuss Mamdani's campaign. Featherstone explains Mamdani's early political talent and that he wouldn't have run without DSA endorsement, framing it as a serious bid for executive power. Hamm notes key moments like Mamdani's viral Coney Island plunge video and his energy, contrasting with Andrew Cuomo's lackluster campaign. Featherstone details how Mamdani's volunteer army of over 30,000 made city-wide canvassing feasible. The discussion turns to Palestine: Mamdani said he'd arrest Netanyahu as a war criminal, while Cuomo served on Netanyahu's legal team. The guests challenge media narratives about Jewish voters, noting Mamdani still garnered significant Jewish support despite his stance. They cite local races where progressive candidates like Shahana Hanif and Alexa Aviles resisted billionaire-funded opposition. The episode concludes with concerns about billionaire backlash from figures like Bill Ackman and a promo for Hamm's forthcoming book 'Run Zoran Run.'

As heard by us

Zoran Mamdani's victory opens a focused discussion of Democratic Party conflict and American support for Israel.

Zoran Mamdani's New York City mayoral-primary victory sets up a discussion of Democratic leaders who decline to endorse their party's candidate.

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Why you'd press play

You hear why Zohran Mamdani's New York City mayoral-primary victory exposed a much larger Democratic Party fault line.

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