Republicans to Democrats: "You Now Own Zohran Mamdani"... Is He the Face of the Party? What's Next?

Summary

2WAY Morning Meeting — Episode Summary

Episode: Republicans to Democrats: "You Now Own Zohran Mamdani"... Is He the Face of the Party? What's Next?
Date: November 5, 2025
Host & Panel: Mark Halperin (Host), Sean McElwee (Former Trump White House Press Secretary), Dan Pfeiffer (Democratic Strategist)

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Overview

The morning after the pivotal off-year elections, the 2WAY Morning Meeting team unpacks the major electoral upsets and examines their impact on both parties—particularly the Democratic takeover in New York City by Zohran Mamdani, the so-called “socialist” mayor-elect. The conversation spans the implications for party brands, 2028 presidential hopefuls, the evolving nature of political discourse, and practical effects on a looming government shutdown.

Tone throughout: energetic, occasionally jocular, deeply political, blending inside-baseball analysis with sharp partisan critique.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Election Day Fallout: Massive Democratic Gains

• Democratic Dominance in Urban & Suburban Areas:

  • Democrats won by unexpected (and, by some estimates, historic) margins, especially among young women, Latino, Black, and suburban voters.
  • Mark Halperin: “If the Republicans do as poorly in the suburbs and with certain demographic groups in the midterms as they did last night, they'll be wiped out.” [09:51]

• Republican Self-Assessment:

  • The Republican candidate for governor of Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy, conceded their failings bluntly:
    • “We got our asses handed to us in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. Democrats swept all three." [10:59]
    • Urged GOP to drop identity politics and prioritize economic issues.

• What Went Wrong for the GOP?:

  • Sean McElwee blames poor candidate quality, lackluster campaigns, and absentee get-out-the-vote efforts, particularly in Virginia.
  • Criticizes Republicans’ reliance on Trumpism even in off-cycle elections, where Trump himself is not on the ballot.

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The Rise and Meaning of Zohran Mamdani

• Is Mamdani the Face of the Democratic Party?

  • His bitter mayoral victory speech invoked socialist icon Eugene Debs, celebrated toppling the Cuomo dynasty (“Let tonight be the final time I utter his name.” [20:16]), and was confrontational both toward the outgoing administration and President Trump.
  • Mark Halperin: “I've never heard a line like that.” [20:44]

• Panel Reactions:

  • Dan Pfeiffer: Defensive of Mamdani’s emotion in victory (“For one night, he popped off... The challenge now is to go govern, and you need the governor and the legislature.” [21:21])
  • Sean McElwee: Warns that picking fights isn’t smart politics for a young mayor if he wants a future. “Being a 32 year-old man-child is probably not the best for your future.” [22:23]
  • Halperin is alarmed by Mamdani’s lack of outreach to Jewish New Yorkers (“That’s not a normal night. That’s the night when the world’s watching in...” [24:05])

• Framing from Right and Left:

  • The New York Post dubs him “Socialist Mondami” (On your Marx. Get set, Zo!), suggesting the GOP will nationalize his profile to define Democrats as radical left.

• AOC on Party Face:

  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), in a widely circulated clip, resists the idea that the party should have “one face”:
    • “At the end of the day, I don't think that our party needs to have one face. Our country does not have one face. Our assignment everywhere is to send the strongest fighters for the working class wherever possible.” [32:34]

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Party 2028: Presidential Aspirants and Intra-Democratic Tension

• Big Nights for AOC and Gavin Newsom:

  • Both seize the spotlight on election night; Newsom calls it “a victory for the United States of America, for the people of this country…” [26:56]
  • Newsom openly mocks Trump as “the most historically unpopular president in modern history.” [27:01]

• Contrast of Styles:

  • The “show, not tell caucus” (Shapiro, Beshear, Whitmer) vs. “loud, confrontational” progressives (AOC, Newsom, Mamdani).

• Debate Over Moderates vs. Progressives:

  • Panel acknowledges that moderates like Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger also scored major wins, showing continued energy in the party’s center.
  • Dan Pfeiffer: “...if you're a moderate...this gives you some courage now, which is: the real world is out in the country. If you focus on the real lives of real people, you have a chance.” [33:04]
  • The party’s challenge is keeping both “Mandani and Abigail Spanberger in the same tent.” [57:09]

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Looming Shutdown, Tariffs & Economic Anxiety

• Government Shutdown Update:

  • The president pushes Senate Republicans to abolish the filibuster in order to resolve the impasse.
  • Halperin: “It's not just about ending the shutdown. John Thune looked poker faced, I would say, and a little forlorn as the president...said, get rid of the filibuster.” [35:27]
  • Panel expects resolution once public pain mounts (i.e., delayed airline travel, threatened SNAP benefits).

• AI and Economic Instability:

  • McElwee shares a story from an Uber driver about the looming loss of gig economy jobs to AI-driven systems, emphasizing automation’s coming collision with existing jobs.

• Supreme Court Tariff Case Preview:

  • Analysis centers on the separation of powers: does the executive’s trade authority (granted by Congress) have limits, or is it as vast as Trump asserts?
  • The questioning will focus on whether the law (IEEPA) gives the president tariff power in peacetime or only in emergencies.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bipartisan Friction Over Political Niceties:

  • Pfeiffer: “In the Trump era, it’s a totally normal night,” referencing the collapse of graciousness in victory or defeat. [24:28]
  • Halperin: “Anyone can condemn this. Right? And they should...But the broader point is, you're now the mayor. You have to care about [Jewish New Yorkers’] safety and security...” [60:00]

• Republican Self-Critique:

  • Vivek Ramaswamy: “Cut out the identity politics.... We don't care about the color of your skin or your religion. We care about the content of your character. That's who we are.” [11:26]

• Panelist Humor & Jabs:

  • Halperin jokes about Revolution coming for Upper East/West Siders and doormen “ring upstairs” for valuables. [03:37]
  • “The marketplace may be getting frustrated with these types of candidates. So after 12 years, boring and moderate…” [52:17]

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Important Timestamps

• Demographic Breakdown of Democratic Wins – [09:51]
• Republican Post-Mortem (Vivek Ramaswamy Soundbite) – [10:59]
• Sean: Mechanics Matter in Elections – [12:28]
• Panel Debate: Who Owns Mamdani? – [13:54]
• Panel Debate: Moderates v. Socialists; 2028 Aspirants – [18:42, 25:30, 33:04]
• Mamdani Victory Speech / Panel Reaction – [19:32-21:21]
• AOC on Party Diversity – [32:34]
• Shutdown and Economic Issues – [35:27-38:49]
• Supreme Court Tariff Case Preview – [39:44-44:04]
• Voter Questions: The Future of Both Parties – [44:14, 48:53, 53:26]
• Public Safety and Mamdani & Jewish Community – [57:35-61:24]

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Conclusion & Forward Look

The panel ends by emphasizing Democrats’ new responsibility for their insurgent, high-profile winners like Mamdani (“You now own him”). Republicans ponder their existential crisis and urge a pivot toward bread-and-butter economics. Both parties brace for the next act: a possible end to the shutdown, the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling, and the early jockeying for 2028.

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Notable Quotes w/ Attribution

• “If the Republicans do as poorly in the suburbs and with certain demographic groups in the midterms as they did last night, they'll be wiped out.”
  —Mark Halperin, [09:51]

• “We got our asses handed to us in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. Democrats swept all three.”
  —Vivek Ramaswamy (clip), [10:59]

• “Let tonight be the final time I utter [Cuomo’s] name.”
  —Zohran Mamdani (victory speech, as quoted by the panel), [20:16]

• “At the end of the day, I don't think that our party needs to have one face. Our country does not have one face. Our assignment everywhere is to send the strongest fighters for the working class wherever possible.”
  —Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, [32:34]

• “Being a 32 year-old man-child is probably not the best for your future.”
  —Sean McElwee (on Mamdani), [22:23]

• “But the broader point is, you're now the mayor. You have to care about [Jewish New Yorkers’] safety and security, and the idea...they have to worry about their safety Going to synagogue is unacceptable.”
  —Sean McElwee, [60:00]

• “The party’s challenge is keeping both 'Mandani and Abigail Spanberger in the same tent.'”
  —Dan Pfeiffer, [57:09]

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Structure & Flow

Opening: Election analysis, comedic banter about neighborhoods, setup for the magnitude of the results
Election Dissection: Demographics, candidate quality, campaign management; Republicans’ need to recalibrate
Mamdani Focus: Is he the new face? How his style reflects and shapes Democratic identity
2028 Preview: Aspirants surfacing, Democratic tension between progressives and moderates
Shutdown & Economy: How broader government dysfunction intersects with evolving economic threats, including AI
Audience Q&A: Public concerns reflect polarization, party identity questions, and the blending of style and substance
Closing: Emphasis on responsibility for new leaders, the shifting tone in American politics, and a pragmatic look at coming policy and electoral battles

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Anyone who missed the episode will come away with a thorough understanding of the key results, the meaning behind them, the new personalities on the rise, and the sharpening battle lines within and between America's major parties.

Transcript

[Mark Halperin]

I'm James Patterson. I write way too many books. Welcome to Hungry Dogs.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

The title comes from my maternal grandmother, Isabel Zelvis Morris. Nan used to always say, hungry dogs run faster, James. And I've been running fast ever since.

[Mark Halperin]

Here's what will be coming your way soon. And this is a really terrific list. I think you'll hear from some incredible people like Stacey Abrams. Yay. BJ Novak.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Yay.

[Mark Halperin]

Kathy Bates, Dolly Parton, Josh Gad.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

And Pope Leo.

[Mark Halperin]

Okay, maybe not Pope Leo, but who knows?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Maybe he'll show up.

[Mark Halperin]

Hungry dogs run faster.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Thank you, Grandma, for turning me into a hopeless, obsessive, compulsive. Listen to Hungry Dogs with James Patterson.

[Mark Halperin]

That'd be me on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

This is it. The world as you know it is over. Completely done.

[Sean McElwee]

It's not about to be over.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

It's over. Some of the scientists who helped build AI are now sounding the alarm.

[Sean McElwee]

I was selling AI as a great thing for decades and I was wrong.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I was wrong.

[Sean McElwee]

There is a longer term existential threat.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

That will arise when we create digital beings that are more intelligent than ourselves. We have no idea whether we can stay in control.

[Sean McElwee]

While others say that AI will usher.

[Mark Halperin]

In unfathomable abundance, I've always believed that.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

It'S going to be the most important invention that humanity will ever make.

[Mark Halperin]

This really will be a world of abundance.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

And among these fears and these fantasies, we seek the story of our future. Listen to the last invention on Apple.

[Mark Halperin]

Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. Buddy. Welcome to the first day of the rest of our lives together day after the off year elections. The President's already spoken quite a bit this morning in a breakfast with Republican senators and we got a Supreme Court hearing on arguments on the tariff case and of course government still shut down. And although Republicans think the Democrats are just waiting to get past the election, I find it hard to believe the Democrats are going to be in a settling or caving mood after last night. So we'll talk about all of that and also 2028. Major developments last night across the board and minor regarding who the Democrats will nominate in 2028. All, all that and more here today on the morning meeting. Dan and Sean are here. We got to start with this before we get to anything else. Put up number 123. This is the results here in New York City by neighborhood of how the candidates did. And of course Sean doesn't live in New York, but we'll we'll extrapolate into Sean's neighborhood. Uh, there you see the top two. Upper east side, that's where Dan lives. Upper west side, where? Where I live. Dan. Dan is with the powerful. Dan's with the billionaires.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Dan, I'm with the people.

[Mark Halperin]

The people? No, you're not with the people. My neighborhood. Upper west side, plus five. Mondami proud to stand with our comrades who voted the right way. Sean, if Mondami and Cuomo were running in your neighborhood, would you be closer to the Upper east side, do you think, or the Upper west side?

[Sean McElwee]

We'd probably be a little west sideish.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. There. Well, I don't know. There's. There's a street in Sean's neighborhood. Sean. What's it called? Millionaires Hill. Is that what it's called?

[Sean McElwee]

Mansion Drive.

[Mark Halperin]

Mansion Drive. All right. Mansion Drive. So anyway, I just say that by way of saying, dan, I'll be. I'll be fine. When the Bolsheviks come to the door and the doormen ring upstairs and say, Mr. Halperin, they're here for all your valuables. And I'll say, I'll say, comrade, I'm good. Whereas you're just gonna have to hand everything over.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

They're just going to put up barricades. Don't worry.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. At this time of austerity here in New York City, I've got good news. Fairway and Green. You can see we're all wearing branded clothes from Fairway and Green. Thank goodness. These are going to be available to you all, particularly for those of you who live in New York and who might be worrying about how you're going to make ends meet in the coming situation. I kid. 25 off Fairway and Green products sitewide. Use the promo code election25. Even though the election's over, the generous folks at Fairway and Green say yes.

[Sean McElwee]

Everybody's a winner.

[Mark Halperin]

Everybody's a winner. 25% go to 2way TV. Fairway, use the promo code election25 for a full 25% off everything on the site. And as you can see from what Dan and Sean and they wearing it well. Modern, professional, sharp, classic pieces that carry you effortlessly from boardroom to dinner. I'd say even diner, not just dinner delivers. Clean, sophisticated look you want on and off the course. Refined, comfortable, and always in style. Dan, that's. When are you going to a boardroom? Today? Because you could wear that.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

No, I'm. I'm not. But yeah. And my homage to Hillary Clinton day after. Purple. Yep.

[Mark Halperin]

Purple. Yeah, I'm James Patterson. I Write way too many books.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Welcome to Hungry Dogs. The title comes from my maternal grandmother, Isabel Zelvis Morris. Nan used to always say, hungry dogs run faster, James.

[Mark Halperin]

And I've been running fast ever since. Here's what will be coming your way soon. And this is a really terrific list. I think you'll hear from some incredible people like Stacey Abrams. Yay. BJ Novak. Yay. Kathy Bates, Dolly Parton, Josh Gad.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

And Pope Leo.

[Mark Halperin]

Okay, maybe not Pope Leo, but who knows?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Maybe he'll show up.

[Mark Halperin]

Hungry dogs run faster.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Thank you, Grandma, for turning me into a hopeless, obsessive, compulsive. Listen to Hungry Dogs with James Patterson.

[Mark Halperin]

That'd be me on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

All right.

[Mark Halperin]

I'm just. I'm just running through here. All right, we'll do one more bit of business and then. And then we'll get right into it. As always, if you're here in the two way platform, like Nicholas or Jesse or Michael, Max, if you're here in the two way platform, you want to get in the conversation, it's very simple. Just raise that yellow electronic hand. Hit the raise hand button if you're watching on x or on YouTube. Whatever strong feelings you have about the election results, the shutdown, maybe even about the mayor elect. Mondami, no smack in the chat. There's just no need for it. And if you'd like to, you can put stuff in the chat and it should be imbued with peace, love and understanding. The cension of presumption of grace. Even if you believe the mayor is an anti semitic communist. Even then, please extend the presumption of grace to the mayor elect. All right, another message from another sponsor and then we get right to it. Our friends at Cozy Earth also very generous. Also having a big sale sitewide. Get this. 40% off. 40% off. Go to cozyearth.com promo code. Mark. It's basically Black Friday is right after election day for the folks at Cozy Earth. You can use the code. There's already discount on the site, but if you use the promo code, you get 40 off the sheets, the blankets, the pants. Someone told me yesterday it wasn't. What was that? They said I wasn't selling enough though. The towels. I don't have the towels, which is why I haven't been. You guys have the towels?

[Sean McElwee]

I do not.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

No, no.

[Mark Halperin]

Somebody. Somebody came on our blanket. Yeah, somebody came on our election coverage last night and said it's all about the towels. So again, go to cozyearth.com use the promo code mark. 40% off. Get some towels, get some pants, get some sheets. The sheets again, they're so soft. You'll cuddle with them. And speaking of cuddling, order yourself a bubble cuddle blanket. Again, cozyearth.com promo code mark for amazing. 40% off. All right. The president, as we said, already spoke this morning. He was meeting with Republican senators. He did not take questions. He's doing an interview with Brett Baer later. He and he told the press he would speak. He could speak on the at departure as he flies to Florida, give a speech. He could speech on Air Force One. He could speech on a speak to the press on arrival. He could speak to the press at the event or that he's coming right back to the White House. So that's several more opportunities. Speak to the press on departure from Florida, on Air Force One back from Florida or on arrival at Andrews or or also at arrival back at the White House. So I would say he'll avail himself at least once of one of those opportunities as well as the interview with Brett also on FOX tonight. I'll be on with Brett. But but Jesse Walters full interview with Erica Kirk will air. So big night on FOX News Channel. As I said, the president talked. We'll play that for you in a minute. The vice president was at the meeting with the senators and the president. He just did a little jibe to the vice president. You know, we've mentioned here before what confidence the president has and comfort the president has with the vice president that he lets him talk at photo ops. Normally the vice presidents don't talk at presidential photo ops. And the vice president, the President said something. J.D. kind of chimes in every so often. J.D. did not say a word at that moment. Scott Bessant is attending the Supreme Court hearing. Two cases being argued this morning starting at 10 o' clock on the tariffs and Scott Bessant will attend. That House remains out. The Senate's doing some nominations. Hakeem Jeffries, 12:30 Press conference with the chair of the DCCC and lots of conversations still occurring on potential shutdown. We'll talk about that in a moment. All right. Election Day overall, lots we could say about the results, but clearly, Sean, I'll apologize to you. I was wrong about the margins not mattering because I had no idea the margins would be so massive. And to me it's a story of demography and geography. If the Republicans do as poorly in the suburbs and with certain demographic groups in the midterms as they did last night. They'll be wiped out. Wiped out. And there's a number of ways to illustrate that. Here's one way to illustrate that I think is quite striking, which is how Republicans in the key races did with young women. Young women. This is number 104, please. Kind of incredible. Young women. 81% for Mondavi, 80% for Cheryl in New Jersey, 78% for Spanberger. You saw it with the Hispanic vote, too, with the black vote, with the suburban vote. Again, it doesn't mean that these are blue states. It doesn't mean this will happen in every state in the country next year, but it could. It means Donald Trump did not consolidate them. And also. And also it. It means Democrats will have a lot of momentum. A few more things I want to show you. And then, gentlemen, turn it over to you first. Here's someone who believes Republicans got shellacked. The Republican candidate for governor of Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy. 105, please.

[Sean McElwee]

We got our asses handed to us in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. Democrats swept all three. There's two key lessons for Republicans. Listen carefully. Number one, our side needs to focus on affordability. Make the American dream affordable. Bring down costs, electric costs, grocery costs, health care costs and housing costs, and lay out how we're going to do it. And number two, cut out the identity politics.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

It doesn't suit Republicans.

[Sean McElwee]

It's not for us. That's the woke left's game, not ours. We don't care about the color of your skin or your religion. We care about the content of your character. That's who we are.

[Mark Halperin]

All right, here's someone who doesn't think it was as big a deal, apparently. 127, please.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Last night, it was not expected to be a victim. I don't think it was good for Republicans.

[Sean McElwee]

I don't think it was good. I'm not sure it was good for anybody. But we had an interesting evening and.

[Mark Halperin]

We learned a lot. And we're going to talk about that.

[Sean McElwee]

And I'll say a few remarks and then after that I'll ask the press to leave.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

The press has been very, very nice to us. Okay.

[Mark Halperin]

Sean, what did. What did the President learn last night, do you think?

[Sean McElwee]

I gotta be honest. I spent most of last night analyzing the results of Dancing with the Stars. I did not see the elimination of Danielle Fisher coming. I thought none of.

[Mark Halperin]

None of us. None of us.

[Sean McElwee]

I thought this was Andy Richter's week. So I don't have much to say on that. I was Analyzing. It was a big night.

[Mark Halperin]

So you just, you want to just leave all the time for Dan? You can't.

[Sean McElwee]

I do. Look, my takeaways are a few. One, candidates matter. Two, campaigns matter. Three, mechanics matter. The get out the vote in Virginia effort was pathetic at best. If you actually look at southwest Virginia, where Trump ran up the score, it was almost like winsome Sears forgot that that part of the state existed. You look at Loudoun county, where both Youngkin and. And Trump did fairly well. She underperformed significantly and took down the rest of the ticket. The consultants who ran the races, particularly in Virginia, I don't know as much about Virginia, should go on a list, public list, and never be hired again. Every single one of them. The money, the turnout effort, the ads, everything sucked. And I think that Republicans should learn that Trump was not on the ballot. And I know he likes to say it, but it's actually true. You look at where she underperformed yesterday. Horrible, horrible, horrible. On the flip side, when the President said that no one won last night, and I'll let Dan weigh on on this, but Democrats now own Mandami and Jay Jones. I was appalled that Virginia voters, and I know 355,000 of them voted early, would elect a guy who espoused the views that Jay Jones did and wants to be the top law enforcement officer in the Commonwealth. It was appalling. So I think that that's fine. Look, politics is about winning. Democrats had a good night last night. There's no denying that. But they also own the people that got elected, and that means they own Zoram and Dami, and they own Jay Jones.

[Mark Halperin]

Okay, we'll get to Mondami next. But, Dan, what's your overall take in Sean and the President say it's mostly about these idiosyncratic states.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I mean, it's ridiculous. You can't intentionally say that you're the son that the entire world revolves around and then wash your hands of it. The problem is this all matches the surveys of Trump. I've said this, and you guys have kind of tried to poo poo this. He's underwater on the economy, he's underwater on inflation, he's underwater on the tariffs, he's underwater on immigration, everything. Now people say, oh, the Democrats are worse. Well, in this instance, that our candidates were. Are. Are not. So I agree Winston Sears wasn't great, but Jack Cittarelli went backwards massively.

[Sean McElwee]

You're right. No, no, that.

[Mark Halperin]

Hold on one thing. Dip into Morning Joe, then keep going until they get it up. Sure.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

So, I mean, I think one thing, Republicans tried to run 2024's races and it didn't work. And what the Democrats did was focus on the economy, minimize social issues, except for abortion and work in Trump. And all three of them, and I'll say three being Virginia, New Jersey and a little bit even in New York City.

[Mark Halperin]

Hold on, let's just, let's just listen to Cheryl to see how she's doing. Sorry, go ahead.

[Sean McElwee]

No, Joe, I don't think people get New Jersey, but I do and I've run here.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

This is my fifth election.

[Sean McElwee]

I've drawn out huge amounts of people over the years.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I had the largest red to Blue Swing in 2018, so I knew exactly what I had to do. It starts with connecting with voters. I spoke to thousands of people on the ground from everywhere in the state and then we built a juggernaut of a campaign, a huge organization the likes of which this state, state hasn't ever seen. But I was constantly amazed at some of the headlines. I know the New York Post at.

[Sean McElwee]

One point said, Cheryl up by five points.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

This is why that's actually really bad for her.

[Sean McElwee]

I'm just looking at this thinking, guys.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

You report what you report, but I'm.

[Sean McElwee]

Going to do what I do and.

[Mark Halperin]

I'm going to bring up the voters and I'm going to connect with you. Dan, back to you. We'll get to her in a minute. But man, bouncing her step.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Yeah, no, I mean, look, she should go take a victory lap. I mean, I was nervous. A lot of Democrats in D.C. were nervous. That margin stunned me. I mean, I, and in a really good way. I think you said it before, the suburban energy, the non white working class voters that, that, that swung back again. What did Latino say in 2024? Inflation, economic opportunity. What did young black men say? Inflation, economic opportunity. Trump is Underwater by almost 20 points on both those issues. So if, if, if Trump was popular, they would have leaned into it, but he's not, so it's a problem.

[Mark Halperin]

And Dan, is Trump on the ballot next year?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

No, he's not. Well, yeah, actually, I disagree. Trump will make himself on the ballot.

[Mark Halperin]

More than he did this time.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

He makes it. No, he, even now.

[Mark Halperin]

Well, what I'm saying is he didn't campaign in Virginia, New Jersey, he won't present.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Every day is all about Trump because by Trump's choice, it is the attention, economy. Right, understood.

[Mark Halperin]

What I'm saying is he's not literally on the ballot in the history, and the history of Trump since 2016 is he can't drive people to turn out well.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Absolutely. And I. But I also go back to this, and I've said this repeatedly. Trump barely won in 16, he barely lost in 20, and he barely won in 2024. For all the MAGA people who said he had a blowout, he did not. You want to what a blowout is, look at New Jersey and Virginia. You win by 10 points, you blow out. He didn't win a single swing state by 10 points.

[Mark Halperin]

If the Democratic Party is going to have the coalition of the ascendant and suburban voters.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Right.

[Mark Halperin]

They're going to win.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

But that said, if I'm a Democrat, this is the best day since 2020 that we've had. You could argue maybe 2022 when, like, we did less bad than we thought we would do. But I wouldn't get too carried away. Like, now we're going to have to deliver. You know, these candidates are going to have to show up. But I also would say this. You had two moderate candidates that won. One of the things we were saying was that the party energy for the moderates was not there. Well, it turned out it was. It was. And I think, Sean, the attacks about a socialist in New York city, Mandani got 50.5%. Cuomo and Sliwa combined got 49.

[Sean McElwee]

That's. That. That to me, by the way, that's. That's an. I said margins would matter. That's a big deal. The idea that he got a majority, not a plurality matters, but it also.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Means about half the city, even in New York City. So, I mean, look, we need.

[Sean McElwee]

Yeah, good for you guys.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Yeah.

[Mark Halperin]

All right, let's. Let's talk about Mondame. Here's a couple covers. 110. This is the New Yorker cover coming out digital first, and then people who get hard copy. I don't know who you people are, but you'll get this in the mail. Here's him on. On the subway. Here's a. Maybe a less positive. This is the New York Post. Wood. The COVID of the New York Post. The Red Apple. On your marks. For those watching listening on the podcast, Marx is spelled M A R X. On your marks. Get set, Zoe. Socialist Mondami wins race for mayor. Guys, I was stunned at the way he started his speech, and I was stunned at the bitterness he showed towards Andrew Cuomo and towards President Trump. Let's play some of that and then talk about his future. This is some of the mondami speech. Number 113, please.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

The sun may have set over our City this evening.

[Mark Halperin]

But as Eugene Debs once said. Start with quoting Debs. Always a unifier. For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well connected that power does not belong in their hands. And yet over the last 12 months.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

You have dared to reach for something greater. The future is in our hands, my friends. We have toppled a political dynasty. I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life, but let tonight be the final time I utter his name.

[Mark Halperin]

I've never heard a line like that.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.

[Mark Halperin]

Okay. He went on to pick a fight with the President. Dan first, just on the Cuomo thing, he didn't say, you know, congratulations, Wais. Well, run. Cuomo did not run a particularly negative campaign by the standards of modern campaigns. And to not say, I hope he'll help me build this great city we both love, but to say, I'll never say his name again. At the same time, Bill Ackman is reaching out on Twitter. What does that say to you about Mondami's future as mayor with that attitude?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Now, look, I think we talked about this up until last night. He is. He was not bitter about people who had not endorsed him. And he kept saying, I welcome everybody. Look, for one night, he popped off. I mean, Trump pops off all the time. I think he. It's not, you know, what you would necessarily want, like, in my politics, but I get it, right? He took a lot. He was accused of being, you know, hanging with terrorists, everything that he was anti Semitic, all this. And he stuck his chest out for one night. The challenge for him now is now you got to go govern, and you need the governor and you need the state legislature. So the big question now is, how does he do and is he able to accomplish this? I think we'll see, Sean.

[Mark Halperin]

Just ask you about the president and then take it where you wish. The president wants to fight with Mondami every day. Pretty clear. It looks like Mondami wants to fight with the President at least a lot. He went after him so hard last night. Are those two guys just going to have their own running show because it serves both their interests?

[Sean McElwee]

I think to some degree. I would actually. The thing that, you know, you joked once about Putin being arrested in Alaska. I wouldn't be surprised to see some stunts where Zoran Mandami tries to, you know, the president lands in New York and says, I'm asking the nypd. I mean, like, that's the kind of.

[Mark Halperin]

Or for ICE to try to arrest Mondami.

[Sean McElwee]

Yeah, I mean, like, yeah, I mean there's like, I think they're going to go to like all sorts of like new levels of schoolyard stuff. So I wouldn't be surprised to see a bunch of these stunts now escalate because Mandami, like the one thing that, that I would say is first of all, he's got a right and the guy won. You do what you want. Right, Fair enough. But, but at some point the question is what serves your long term interest, what serves the long term interest of New York City? And I think being a 32 year old child, man, child is probably not the best for your Future. Trump is 79, 80 years old. He is who he is. But I think that Mondami, if he wants to have a future, if he wants to lead a movement versus being a one term candidate, then he better think long and hard. About to your point, the Cuomos are still have a lot of connections, have a lot of power in that city. So I think it would have been smart to say, look, we had our fun, blah, blah, blah. I want to have, I mean that just is smart politics. And so I will say that it's going to be interesting to see how this thing plays out because again, he has a right to do what he won. But I just, I'm not sure that when you're that young and inexperienced, it's the smartest move.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. And job's hard enough without picking a fight with Trump. The job's hard enough without not reaching out to Jewish New Yorkers in his speech in a way to try to show them that he understands their.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

But he did all fall. I mean, look, he did. A lot of Jewish people didn't.

[Mark Halperin]

But Dan, you're minimizing the moment as far as I'm concerned. I say it through respect, like this is not just one night. This is the night where he's got the world watching him and he chooses to, to attack Andrew Cuomo bitterly, to pick a fight with the President of the United States and to not reach out to Jewish New Yorkers. It just, it, he can do, he can do all three going forward and do it differently. But that's not a normal night. That's the night when world's washing in.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

The, in the, in the Trump era. It's a totally normal night. Well, but I mean guys, you guys are talking like we're in 2015, like every gracious when he wins half the time. Are Republicans gracious about stuff now? Like these Are the rules.

[Sean McElwee]

No, no.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I don't know if someone's putting a wwe. Yeah.

[Mark Halperin]

All right, let's.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

All right. Trump, get a slam. Don't get me wrong. You created the new world.

[Mark Halperin]

Okay.

[Sean McElwee]

By the way, I started this conversation by saying he has a right to do it. Like, this is not so.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Should Trump reach out to Democrats when he wins and be gracious and say, I want to work with Joe Biden. He says, go arrest everybody. No, no.

[Mark Halperin]

Right.

[Sean McElwee]

And he tried that the first time and then they impeached him.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

So I think I'm almost laughing at you guys talking like this. Okay. But no, look, no one's like this anymore.

[Sean McElwee]

And I was going to say there is a through line. If you listen to what Mikey Sheryl and Abigail Spanbarger did, there's actually. They didn't maybe go as far as Zoran Mondami did.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

That's their brand. His brand is in your face.

[Sean McElwee]

But I'm just saying, look, again, the right to do it.

[Mark Halperin]

All right. Last night was a huge night for 2028. First of all, I think we're going to go back to seeing Spanberger and Cheryl touted as presidential and vice presidential candidates. And if they govern the least bit effectively, the media will be touting them. It's like, because they're marching them, then how they govern. Well, both. But I mean, we'll go back to where they were before when this race started, which is darlings of the press, lots of appeal to a lot of Democratic donors. Then Shapiro was very aggressive last night touting the Supreme Court victories for the Democrats in Pennsylvania. Wes Moore did some cable, some cable news. And there's one other I'm missing. And then of course, AOC and Gavin Newsom. But there's one other I'm forgetting. Maybe I'll think of it. Gavin Newsom and AOC were extremely aggressive last night. Gavin Newsom, because of the overwhelming passage of the proposition on redistricting. And AOC Doing cable interviews and of course, here in New York with her chosen candidate winning here. First is Gavin Newsom. Two videos. First is. Is 118, please. Just talking about what the victory means for the whole country and for the.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Party, for the Democratic Party, a party that is in its ascendancy, a party that's on its toes, no longer on its heels, from coast to coast, sea to shining sea.

[Mark Halperin]

But it was not just a victory.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Tonight for the Democratic Party. It was a victory for the United States of America, for the people of.

[Mark Halperin]

This country and the principles that our.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Founding fathers lived and died for. And so we're proud. We're proud here in California to be part of this narrative this evening. We're proud of the work that the people of the state of California did tonight to send a powerful message to an historic president. Donald Trump is an historic president. He is the most historically unpopular president in modern history. In every critical category. Donald Trump is underwater. He promised to make us healthier. He promised to make us wealthier. We're sicker and poorer. And he fundamentally understands that. Why else. Why else would he call Greg Abbott saying he's entitled to five seats? Why else is he trying to rig the midterm elections before one single vote is even cast?

[Mark Halperin]

He understands, parenthetically, I'll just say that if the Democrats do continue to do as well as Hispanics in Texas as they did in New Jersey last night, that Republican redistricting is not going to yield them five seats. All right, so that's Gavin Newsom. And again, he's an aircraft carrier. He's one of the only people who possibly might run who is an aircraft carrier. And he's also, as Dan said, playing now by brand new rules, introduced to the national town square by Donald Trump. Here's a video. Kid you not that Gavin Newsom tweeted out yesterday124. He didn't miss that. Right? How fitting.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

A ste.

[Mark Halperin]

Oh, Damon, sweet him music to the boss and the battling boss of the wwe.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

That's not his pedigree.

[Mark Halperin]

Check. Check it on a referee. Make sure he's okay.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Look at this.

[Mark Halperin]

What. Wait a minute.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

What's he gonna do?

[Mark Halperin]

Wade Barrett looking to put on through the table.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Looking to drop the. Wait a second. Ripley gallows into the post.

[Mark Halperin]

Oh, my God.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Oh, my God.

[Sean McElwee]

All right, there's AOC and offensive, just racist.

[Mark Halperin]

There's AOC. Lastly, here's AOC again. She did MSNBC. She did CNN. Here she is 119 on MSNBC last night.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Have these victories. I mean, is there room in the Democratic Party for both moderates like Mikey Sheryl and Abigail Spanberger and also Azoran Mandani? Well, I think it's not just a message about Democrats.

[Sean McElwee]

It's a message about our entire country. I think that Americans are appalled by what they are seeing coming out of this administration. They are appalled by the cowardice of Congress by these Republican majorities in the House and in the Senate. I think that they are. They see Donald Trump now for who he is, which is a handmaiden to billionaires and a handmaiden to corporate interests. That are making working class life impossible in America. And I think that they want to send fighters in every single pocket of this country to fight for working people, to make life affordable and safe for all.

[Mark Halperin]

Sean, I think we all are going to agree that both AOC and Gavin Newsom had huge nights last night for their aspirations. I'm wondering how big you think that is. And violate my rule and ask a two part question. Who else who wants to run potentially in 28 had a good night last night and why?

[Sean McElwee]

Yeah, a couple of things. First of all, this term moderates is just ridiculous. The idea that Abigail Spamberger, who voted with Pelosi over and over again, who supports all this trans stuff, who was silent on Jay Jones, she is not a moderate and the press is doing everything they can to make her that. I think ALC the funny part is I know I found her a little jealous last night. She was being asked, you know, is Mondami a leader in this? No one actually said, are you one of them? And I thought that maybe that was just me, but I felt like she. She actually should have gotten more credit for Mondame and for what she's done. And I felt like the questions were more like, do you think he's now the leader, not you? I. The idea that Gavin Newsom is using the word rigged election, again, a little funny on that front. I would say he had the best night of everybody though, because it was a test of his. Where I think he can helpful is he can talk about the money raised, he can talk about the operation, the mechanics of what he put together. Whether it's true or not, I don't know. But I'm saying I think the appeal to Democrats, when you go out now and go on that tour, it's like, look, I did it. Josh Shapiro. The idea that anybody even knew that Pennsylvania's three Supreme Court justices were up and or gave him any credit, I think would be far fetched. I think Gavin had like the best night last night and then everybody else is a distant second.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I. Can we play 119 for a sec, please? It's just, it's just 30 seconds. It's AOC on MSNBC. Because what she says here, I think is. Is key for people to understand.

[Mark Halperin]

Who.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Is the face of the Democratic Democratic Party at this point.

[Sean McElwee]

Is it Zoran Mamdani?

[Mark Halperin]

Is it Abigail Spamberger?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

It's funny. This is a similar debate that I.

[Sean McElwee]

Saw happen when I was first elected. And at the end of the day, I don't think that our party needs to have one face. Our country does not have one face.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Our assignment everywhere is to send the.

[Sean McElwee]

Strongest fighters for the working class wherever possible. In some places, like Virginia for the gubernatorial seat, that's going to look like Abigail Spamberger in New York City, unequivocally, it is Zora Mandani.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

So, I mean, I wanted to play that because I think the two. Two people had great nights. I agree about AOC and Gavin Newsom. And they are the loud, confrontational, where the base's energy is. And in a primary that matters, they're going to start in the poll position, they're going to raise money, they're going to have volunteers. The other side is someone like what. What I'll say is the show not tell Caucus, which is Shapiro, Brashear, Whitmer. Their heads are down and they're going to turn around and say, I am popular in my states. I get stuff done and I. I can put the coalition together to win. And when you hear someone like AOC said, it's about finding the right candidate to win in certain states, and you look at the margins that the two women won by. If you're a moderate, you're Rahm Emanuel and others, this gives you some courage. Now, which is the real world is an X. The real world is out in the country. And if you focus on the real lives of real people, you have a chance. And so I think both camps got what they wanted out of last night. And now we're going to have this kind of, you know, combustible energy of the two sides going at it. As long as the party says we're with the winner, I'm good. It's when it says, you know, if you win, I'm out, then it's a problem.

[Sean McElwee]

By the way, I will say, you know, as I said on that MSNBC clip, that goes back to the point I made. I think she is a little jealous that she's not getting credit for what she deserves. And on the Newsom clip, I will just say, to the extent that anyone cares what I think about Gavin Newsom, that was the first clip that he actually sounded like a politician and not the sort of what he's been able to freeball. Freewheel later. I mean, like, he actually sounded more scripted, more politic, more like more of a politician than he ever has before in that clip last night. And that's the wrong way to go.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I think if you're AOC and I've said this to you guys for months, you go now, meaning you run this cycle in 28. Because the world by 2032 could be a very different world right now. You have the energy, Mandani's too young, et cetera. When you get an opportunity, you go, and I probably think she's going to run.

[Mark Halperin]

I, I continue to urge you to go watch. She's done, I believe, three hard interviews on camera in her career. Go watch all three.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

She's got three years to do a few more.

[Mark Halperin]

Go watch.

[Sean McElwee]

Well, but also, I mean, you may not believe them. I mean, that's the thing. And these guys all believe their own, their own consultants. And if she thinks she can win.

[Mark Halperin]

Yep.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

The money she's gonna have, the energy, she's got ideas. I mean, there you go.

[Mark Halperin]

Okay, I'm gonna get you those interviews. Two more topics we'll do quickly and then get to your question. So again, if you're here on the platform, you want to be in on the conversation, please raise your hand. The shutdown continues. The president met with Senate Republicans today. He urged them to abolish the filibuster. He suddenly, I guess, figured out that he can't pass anything because he can't get 60 votes for anything. It's not just about ending the shutdown. John Thune looked poker faced, I would say, and a little forlorn as the president once again, in front of all the Republicans, said, get rid of the filibuster. There's a lot of talks going on. It could end. It might not. But obviously the economy is a big part of this conversation. Scott Bessett said something the other day that the New York Times Notice 121. This is kind of an extraordinary thing for a Treasury secretary to say. He's trying to get the Fed to cut rates. He said, I think that there are sectors of the economy that are in recession. Said that on CNN on Sunday. He described the economy as being in a period of transition because of a pullback of government spending to reduce the deficit. And of course, that the shutdown, there's also a stop there. Good economic news.125 private payrolls rose 42,000 in October. And Sean, is, is, is the shutdown ending or not?

[Sean McElwee]

So let's go in order. First of all, I agree with the president. Look, any Republican that doesn't think the Democrats will get rid of this filibuster is nuts. There were only two Democrats that held out last time. They had 49 votes to repeal it. Those two Democrats are gone. There'll be two new Democrats that will support it. Republicans are stupid and shortsighted if they don't think I don't. Look, I'm a fan of the filibuster, but I'm just telling you, if you don't think Democrats are going to do this, the president was absolutely right this morning. They are going to run the table on, you know, making D.C. estate, packing the court like you got. Every one of these Republicans that's holding on to tradition needs to get a clue what's about to happen to them. I don't think the shutdown is going to end this week. I think next week once airline traffic really screeches to a halt and that's going to start. I think next week that's going to really start to have an impact. And the SNAP benefits again, you got some money going out the door, but not all. Like we're, we're getting this point next week where I think it's really going to crescendo and that's going to be the big thing. I think, by the way, on the Bessett stuff, that that is an important note, right. The idea that there's concern about what the lack of government spending in these areas. And I wanted to say one more quick thing that is interesting about the jobs front. I was in a Uber the other day and this guy was telling me about, he's part of this council, the gig drivers and all this stuff there is, they believe this Waymo driving system where you get in its driverless. He was telling me about all the cars that are coming in and his point to me was, you know, government folks better get a clue that all these gig jobs are going to go soon too, because the driverless cars are going to take over and AI is going to take over this. I think that's one of the things that the president's going to have to face on this term, which is you're creating all of this investment in the US and potential jobs. But the AI intersection of that is coming soon, where they're going to start replacing people. Everything from Uber and Lyft drivers to other menial functions that can be done by AI. And I think that happens his term.

[Mark Halperin]

Dan, is the shutdown ending?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I think it's going to end next week. Yep. I do. I think both sides have an incentive now to move on. I think. You know, I've said this about Scott Besson a couple of times recently. He's becoming quite a politician. The idea that the reason we are partially in a recession is simply because of government spending being reduced is absurd. I mean, it's like the tariffs never happen. There is no sitting president. Like how many, how many earnings calls do you hear where CEOs talk about the uncertainty around the tariffs and the administration? Those are people who can't lie to shareholders. Right. So Bessant is becoming such a politician and how he talks now, it is somewhat comical. But again, if you're Trump guys, for two months we've got on this every morning, how many times you talk about the economy, it's foreign policy, it's every other shiny red ball Trump can throw out there. It's not where voters are and they're becoming disconnected.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, the exit poll showed that. All right. Lastly, again, The Supreme Court 20 minutes is going to do arguments. Josh Gerstein has the best curtain raiser anybody written 122 in Politico about the justices and points out that the conservatives kind of have competing sensibilities. They like the conservative justices, love broad executive power, but they're also been wary of extending that power to economics. And so one thing Josh has to look for in the questioning, is the questioning going to be about this is an economic thing or is about a national security thing related to fentanyl and other national security issues. So Sean, who are the one or two justices do you think will decide this?

[Sean McElwee]

Well, let me just back it up for a second. I think where Josh misses the point on this is that he keeps talking about where a lot of people are focusing is this, quote, broad executive power. The problem is that trade constitutionally is a legislative power that the legislature through IPA has given the president certain responsibilities and certain roles. So he's missing the point here. And this is where I think a lot of people are going to miss how the court looks at this. If you're a strict constructionalist, you look at the Constitution say where does what article does that power lie in? And right now it's an article one power. So they're going to say, great, Congress didn't yield that authority to the president under ipa. It didn't happen. Go if you look at what I eat a grants, it doesn't grant this. And so they're going to say, yes, we believe the executive has the right to do a lot of stuff. But in this particular case, the Constitution is clear. So I think ultimately watch the questioning on why they believe they have the, it's not even, it's of the six of the, of the five, six conservative justices who hones in on that delineation, what emergency do they think matters? Where in IEPA do they have this power? There's Two things at stake, China, Canada, Mexico, fentanyl. He can use the IEPA for that, I think fairly unequivocally saying that that was an emergency, a threat to the United States. But the Liberation Day, the broad use of tariffs, that's where they're going to, I think, have a problem in saying, where do you guys think that IPA does this? So I would watch the questioning for any of them because I don't think it's an executive power issue. It's a legislative issue that they're going to question. Where do you think you get this from, Dan?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I think John Roberts and Kavanaugh, I think, are the ones to watch. I think this has been one of the more fascinating things about this court often siding with Trump is often their reasoning is very short because I think they're very aware that if they are explicit in their rationale, it will be hung around their necks when Democrats bring similar cases before the court. And I think, I do believe that they don't want to stop Trump, but boy, the precedents they are going to start setting that a Democratic administrator and they'll try to find a way to say they're apples to oranges, but they'll humiliate themselves. And so I think in this one, to your point, Sean, they're going to try to split the difference.

[Sean McElwee]

But they're not.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

That's the thing is, and, and the, and the Liberation Day. Right.

[Sean McElwee]

But, but I don't think it's splitting the difference. You actually look at the law and where that what IPA gives the president, they're going to say, yes, you have the right to do it here, but we don't think you have the right to do it here. I actually think that this, all of.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

This with China, all of this. Well, that's usually about the president.

[Sean McElwee]

The president has been granted in the past broad discretion to define what an emergency is. Right. And so as long as Pete Buttigieg.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Defines an emergency, here you go. This is what Democrats are sitting there going like this.

[Sean McElwee]

But the difference point is when you talk about broad executive powers, right. So the President has very broad executive powers. But in this case, when you're using IPA as the basis of that, they, that law limits what you can use it for. So they're going to say, yes, but so I think you could actually have a much bigger split on this. It's not just one or two justices, because I agree with you on Roberts, but I also think Amy Coney Barrett. Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if Alito says.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Hey, look I'm with you.

[Sean McElwee]

But the law says the following. So here's where you are right, and here's where you're wrong. I wouldn't be surprised to see a bigger split than most people are expecting.

[Mark Halperin]

All right, we'll see in 20 minutes. Brian, welcome in. Tell folks who don't know where you are what's on your mind for Dan and for Sean. Yeah, I'm in Minneapolis. And quick question.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

As we look to 28, with JD.

[Mark Halperin]

Most likely being the Republican candidate, obviously the data is very clear that Republicans don't perform as well when Trump's name.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Is not on the ballot.

[Mark Halperin]

On the other side, there's a lot of Republicans and centrists that are, you know, never Trumpers.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

And my question is, what is the.

[Mark Halperin]

Bigger lever for 2028?

[Sean McElwee]

Keep going, Brian, can you just. The bigger level in terms of. I'm sorry, like, can you just dig a little further?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Yeah. I mean, are there more folks who.

[Mark Halperin]

Are never Trumpers, centrists, and Republicans, or. There are more folks that, you know, turnout?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Yep.

[Sean McElwee]

So I think what happened between 2016 and 2024 is that a lot of people who said, I'm a traditional Republican, I don't like Trump's, you know, tactics and some of his verbiage, etcetera, I can't vote for him. I'm a never. Trumper came to realize over the eight years that this culture war, that what really matters. They saw Biden, they saw what the media did, they saw what corporate America did, and they said, all right, you know what? I still may not like some of the way that Trump describes things or whatever, but the fight, the bigger, broader fight, is too existential to sort of sit on the sidelines or to hold my nose and that I, you know, I, I, or I now get why Trump's doing it. So there has been, I think, a massive shift. And if you go out and you listen just to the community that comes on board this show. Didn't vote for Trump. Didn't vote for Trump. Now I did, right? I voted for Clinton, I voted for Obama. I now vote for Trump. What. What the media, corporate America, and the Democratic and the, and the, the broader left movement have done is taking a lot of people off the sidelines and say, you better be in the game. You know, I'm almost finished, by the way, with Alex's book about her fight, you know, and what happened in the community in uk, and it's a great example of what happened. There's a great massive awakening over the last eight years at what we're dealing with and why. And I think that that never Trump thing has gone from this big to. To that big.

[Mark Halperin]

Dan.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Brian, I think it's a great question, and I've talked about this here for a little bit, that I don't know where the country's going to be in three years, and that traditionally after 12 years or eight years, you kind of want to go in a different direction. I agree with Sean that Trump was the Perfect candidate for 2024. Coming out of COVID economic frustrations, Biden being super old and kind of not being seen. Kamala Harris, with all her struggles, 2028 is going to be very different. I don't know if JD JD Vance is going to be Trump 2.0 or 3.0, however you want to phrase it. It's gonna be Trump's fourth term. He can't separate himself. So if this holds and the middle starts to say, we're tired of this, we want to go in a different direction. This isn't about trans anymore. It's not about the border anymore. Right. Like, it's closed. Like, Trump's a little bit of a victim of his own success. But what are the issues that animate voters in 27 and 28? I think somebody will come at J.D. vance from both sides because they will be the fresh, new energy, and they will make the argument of, here's where Trump is. Right. But here's where I think we need to go in a different direction. It could be that Trump still has a lockhold on the party and no one's getting around Trump. But I could see a path where Trump is not popular and J.D. vance, boy, ask Mike Pence what happens when you cross the beast.

[Sean McElwee]

Yeah, but I think the difference between Pence and JD Is stark. Right. Pence was an establishment pick, picked for that reason because he really helped with shore up that evangelical concern that exists. J.D. vance is born of Trump, and I. There's a lot more comfort in handing the mantle off to a guy like JD Than there than there. With all due respect to Mike Pence, I just. I don't think that people would have ever thought that you're handing the Trump mantle, the MAGA movement, to Mike Pence.

[Mark Halperin]

Right? Here's the thing.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Four years ago, J.D. vance was not all on board.

[Sean McElwee]

I know. No, no, you're right. But even after.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I mean, I just think the problem is, can J.D. vance legitimately get up there? Let's say there's five issues in 28. Right. I'm gonna just. Whatever they are, can J.D. vance get up there and say, here's where Trump's wrong on four of them?

[Sean McElwee]

No. You don't have to, though.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Sean. Right now he's 25 points underwater. So maybe. Maybe it changes. But my point is, if that's the environment, Vance is effed. He's effed.

[Mark Halperin]

Tripp, are you able to unmute?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Somebody else comes in? Yeah, I'm here.

[Mark Halperin]

All right, welcome. Welcome in. Glad to have you here. Tell folks where you are and what's on your mind.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I am standing at the 72nd Street, Second Ave. Subway.

[Mark Halperin]

Nice.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Yeah.

[Mark Halperin]

Cuomo. Cuomo.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Cleaner than I thought.

[Mark Halperin]

God, I thought.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I thought Cuomo had a shot, but I guess not. No. First time, long time.

[Mark Halperin]

Welcome in.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I had a question. You know what's been really hard is on the left side, the last, especially with the Virginia gentlemen getting elected who sent the text, it's starting to really create. And I know everyone says, boogeyman, Trump, but the left is really coming off these days as just not having American traditional values of what I grew up with. And I'm just curious on if someone can get elected saying those types of things, then what's stopping the whole machine from taking it all over? So I'm just curious, you know, and I know Dan said this earlier. That was. Have you taken back on. Oh, just because Trump's doing it. We can do it, but Trump's a singular figure. This is now becoming. You're seeing this now with a multitude of left candidates, so. Well, I'm just. Yeah, I think, Tripp, the challenge is, because this is a common theme. Trump's a singular figure. So Jay Jones said something really stupid, right? We talked about Tucker Carlson yesterday saying things that some people would say or platforming things that are stupid. Right? We talked about the text messages. We talked about Access Hollywood. The country is becoming numb to these scandals that used to knock candidates out cold, but now, right? Republicans say, well, that just Trump is Trump. Trump, Trump. Trump can be not gracious on the stage. Trump can make fun of paraplegics. Trump can make fun of John McCain because he's Trump. Guess what? The country has become numb to it. So now when J.D. vance says, well, boys are boys in the locker room on a text exchange, eh? And Democrats say, oh, my God, how do you not scream? Look at what you're saying. No, how can you not say. And I'm not saying Don is right either. I'm more saying, for the sake of the country. And, you know, I've got two young kids. You know, I see a Future that's not bright. You sound like every Democrat talking about Trump the last 10 years. You know, what's. Dan, you know, what's it. Hilarious, honestly. So my wife, one of the bravest people ever. One of the original, you know, Red Hat 16.

[Mark Halperin]

I was a Hillary.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I was chanting Hillary in the streets. Obama was one of my favorite presents. Bring me to now. The, you know, I'm one of those red pills, you know, moved all the way over. But I'm still, you know, I'm still on that stratosphere, that. That line. And I. I want to, you know, I. I think Mark said it perfectly.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Mandani is, you know, an outright, you know, democratic socialist, but we still want the city to do well. Right? So totally. I. I think at the end of the day, what I'm trying to really get at is forget the politicians. I'm worried about us as people. Well, you know what it is, Tripp, and this is why I. I keep saying, if you're someone like Josh Shapiro, the marketplace may be getting frustrated with these types of candidates. So after 12 years, boring and moderate and temperate and, like, I don't do this. So Gavin Newsom and AOC may disqualify themselves because they're trying to be Trump in a way, and the country's like, enough. Yeah.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. Tripp, thank you. Grateful to you. Thanks for coming on. Thanks for being part of Two Way. James Blair, deputy White House chief of staff in charge of politics, just tweeted something out. I'll just. I'll just read it. Not a surprise, but he was bickering with some Democrat on Twitter. He said, my old friend, you know, by now, these things don't rattle me. I'll be talking very publicly about this today. Meeting the midterms, I woke up reinvigorated to once again spend a year demoralizing otherwise jubilant Democrats. Stay tuned. We'll see. Jesse, welcome in. Thank you for being part of Two Way. Let everybody know where you are and what's on your mind. For Sean and Dan. Good morning.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I am in Northern Virginia, so right down the street from Sean. I've been watching y' all for about a year and a half now. I'm a conservative. I don't really identify with one party or the other, and I can go more into that later if you guys want. One thing that I. I wanted to talk about something that connects what y' all were talking about the past few days, and I think it connects into the election last night. And I think Dan kind of has picked up on some of these points. I think one thing that's happening here is all this stuff that was going on with the Tucker Fuentes, some of these op eds, the conversations, the Candace Owens, all these things. There's this sort of vibe in the independent sphere that the left, for all that's happened, is somehow more normal than that. And I think one big reason is because a lot of what they're espousing on this fringe right belief is a lot of very anti pluralistic, very aggressive ideologies. And I think this actually, I know you guys talked about it and you debated whether or not this is a real thing. I think it is a real thing and I think it's something that seriously will impact Vance in the next election because he is not just close with some of these people, but he shares a lot of similar base ideology beliefs. Like not like just, oh, he's a Republican or he's on a rally with them. Like he, he shares a lot of similar philosophical beliefs to some of these people and he's never really been able to distance himself from it and he's never been able to really explain why he feels those ways. And I think a lot of it, like I said, a lot of it is based in this. There's like a religious undertone to it too, which is something I can get into, but I don't think there's enough time to why I think this is all blowing up now, which Mark I know was asked a million times, but I think this is something that's a serious threat to his campaign moving forward. And I think everybody kind of is aware of it under the surface. And you can see in the chat, you can see when you talk to people, they're like, Rubio would be a lot more able to deal with these things. But no one's wants to really challenge the, the kingmaker, which is Trump.

[Mark Halperin]

So let's let the guys respond. Sean.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I think.

[Sean McElwee]

Well, look, the one thing, I mean, obviously it's our job to kind of, to do a lot of this analysis and look, but I, I think one of the things that I've always noticed over time is style, especially in politics matters, right? So if you think about a lot of the, the bigger issues, there's General Agreement on 80, 85% of them. How you present them, how you present yourself as a champion of them matter. I think that's what makes JD in particular so effective. Trump does his sit down interviews, but you looked at, if you look at what JD did at that Turning Point USA event in Mississippi the other day, he goes out there and engages in a very authentic, impactful way and effective way. And I think that's what's different about him, how he presents himself. You know, if you think you go back to Kamala Harris getting that question on the View, what makes you different? I mean, there was, you don't have to go out there. And I mean, this is why I was sort of disagreeing with Dan. I don't think you have to go out and say, I disagree on these five issues. That's not necessarily what people are, are about. JD's talked about his faith and his approach to life and, and, you know, his family. That's the, the style matters. And I think that's how, I think you're going to see a big difference in presentation as we head forward.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Dan, winning campaigns have both their base and independence. And you can't have Tucker Carlson sitting in your box at the convention smiling, practically holding hands, and then turn around and say, nope, nope. Doesn't speak for anything. I mean, both, both parties with their bases. It's a problem, right? I mean, winning candidates find a way to finesse that. It'll be our challenge to have Mandani and Abigail Spanberger in the same tent. It's going to be there. Now that this stuff's bubbling up. Trump figured it out. We'll see if J.D. vance can.

[Mark Halperin]

Okay, Jesse, thank you. I am, I'm just so fixated on so many questions about how Mandami is going to behave during the transition, how he'll behave in office. Will he continue to do social media, all these, all these policy questions, getting along with the governor, the city Council, will he pick a Senate, anoint someone to be the head of the council? There's a million questions. The question of how he's going to treat Jewish voters, top of mind right now for two things. First, here's an email I just got from one of you. Community member. I don't understand why Mamdani wouldn't reach out to Jewish voters during his speech last night. As a former New Yorker, I found it disheartening that he listed Yemeni bodega owners, Mexican Abulas, Uzbeki nurses and Ethiopian aunties, but not one mention of a Jew. He says he's for every New Yorker. And then this tweet from a Republican member of Congress. The only thing, the only Republican who represents part of New York City, a Brooklyn's Jewish community, wakes up to two swastikas at Mag and David Yeshiva in Gravesend, which is in Brooklyn, while the Hate Crimes Division investigates. The mayor elect must unequivocally condemn this hasteful graffiti. Time to represent and protect all New Yorkers. Dan, what should he do? What will he do?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I believe he is anti Nazi, so I believe he will condemn this. And look, he had a night last night where he thanked the people who were part of his coalition. He did. He didn't say anti Israel stuff. He just did not reach out to the Jewish community. So he did from June through October. We all talked about this. He was meeting behind the scenes. It was in the New York Times. It was everywhere. His campaign was making it known that he was reaching out. Now we're going to see what did Barack Obama call him about staffing a government and actually governing and getting stuff done. Let's see if he reaches out. Let's see how he tries to build. Wouldn't it be the big ten?

[Mark Halperin]

Wouldn't it be great if he went to that synagogue right now and met with the congregation.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Absolutely. And do a video and stand there with rabbis. And I don't think he's going to turn his back on the Jewish community. He may not be their strongest champion, but I would be surprised. Look, my bet is he wants to be reelected. I know, but I'm being serious.

[Sean McElwee]

I know. I get it. That's why I said earlier. No, no, but I said this one by this much.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

Take a lot to lose that.

[Sean McElwee]

So, I mean, you look at like, that was my point earlier. Not that whether he should or shouldn't be saying and doing certain things, that if you're 32 years old and you want a future, here's what's smart politically, not what you have to do. And I agree. He could tee off on everybody, call Trump whatever he wants. But if you actually think to yourself, how do I do this? It's starting to say, wow, I'm a guy who can work with the business community. The Jewish community shouldn't be that bad. These are smart political things. Not again. He could say, I'm going to do exactly what Trump does. God bless him. Go for it. Here's the difference to Mark's point. Anyone can condemn this. Right? And they should. What Nicole Malitakis just put up there. But the broader point is, you're now the mayor. You have to care about their safety and security. And the idea. I walk by a Jewish synagogue right down the street from me probably four times a week, and there's a cop car, sheriff's car outside there now all the time, the idea that Jews have to worry about their safety Going to synagogue is unacceptable. And if you're now going to become the mayor, it's not just about condemning a swastika on there. It's talking about what you are going to do to make sure that they feel safe in their city and that you're not going to be part of the reason that they have to be unsafe. So I think he's got a lot to do. To Mark's point, he should go there. He should have a meeting. He should be very clear that I am going to utilize the resources that are now available to me as mayor to make sure that your safety and security are unequivocally unquestionable when it comes to practicing your faith.

[Mark Halperin]

I've got two.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

I agree. But by the way, guys, this is why the Fuentes, the Tucker thing is such a big deal, too.

[Mark Halperin]

I've got two, I've got two sources now saying that he is going to have a big tent. The first deputy mayor he's going to announce is Nick Fuentes for Broad, a broad coalition. Yeah. All right, Sean, what do you have this evening?

[Sean McElwee]

Obviously, we'll break down the elections. Mark Mitchell, the head pollster at Rasmussen is joining us tonight. And then we'll talk with Curtis Hauck of the managing editor of Media Research Center Newsmasters about some of the media coverage. And, and we'll actually going to delve into Corinne Jean Pierre's concerns about how she's being. Yeah.

[Mark Halperin]

Again, box office. Dan, anything you want to share?

[Dan Pfeiffer]

No, I just have a question for both you guys. Quickly, Trump likes to change the tune. What do we think Trump might do in the next 48 hours to try to move the, move this off the headlines.

[Mark Halperin]

He's doing the filibuster and voting fraud.

[Sean McElwee]

Well, he's going to announce the big arch coming into D.C. from and his.

[Mark Halperin]

And his, and his and his interview with Brett. Okay, I'm on Smerconish in a moment. I told you, I'm on Brett baer. Later, Megan McCain at noon, Citizen McCain welcomes Medal of Honor recipient New York Times bestselling author. Author Dakota Meyer joined Meghan at noon today here on 2way6, 5 o' clock today we're doing the show early on the 2way platform. It'll stream live at 6 o' clock on YouTube. But 5 o' clock today, we're recording 2way tonight with full coverage of the President's everything the president's doing today. And again, if you want to be part of the conversation, please join us at five o' clock Eastern time today. Sorry, I'm scrolling through here because my phone hiccuped. Great guest if you haven't seen her on two way before anywhere else. And I always have trouble saying her name because I'm not good at reading. Yamisi.

[Sean McElwee]

Yemisi.

[Mark Halperin]

Yemisi. Thank you. Yemisi Egboale. Incredible. Incredible. Former official in the Biden administration. Please join us at 6 and then Bridget at 7. Real America make what makes a good man, Masculinity and the impact of fatherlessness. Join Bridget here on the two way platform at 7 Eastern. Grateful to you all for joining. I have a great day and we'll be back in 23 hours with this program. Thank you all.