Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar

Episode: 9/4/25 — Trump Plot To Crush Zohran, Venezuela Regime Change, Tim Dillon Defends Saudi Cash Grab
Date: September 4, 2025
Podcast: Breaking Points
Hosts: Krystal Ball & Saagar Enjeti

Overview

In this episode, Krystal and Sagar tackle three major topics shaping American politics and culture:

1. The attempts by Donald Trump and billionaire interests to sway the New York City mayoral race against progressive candidate Zoran Mamdani,
2. Controversial US military actions in Venezuela and the broader push for regime change,
3. The ethical questions raised as top comedians, including Tim Dillon, perform at Saudi Arabia’s cash-rich comedy festival – and his unapologetic rationale for “looking the other way.”

The discussion weaves in themes of political cynicism, moral decline, collective action, and the challenges facing anyone trying to push against entrenched power and cultural decay.

1. Trump Attempts to Derail Zoran Mamdani in NYC Mayoral Race

The Plot and Power Play (02:37–13:00)

Key Points:

• Zoran Mamdani's Meteoric Rise:
  Zoran has re-energized leftist politics in NYC, winning the Democratic primary “by like 20 points” and mobilizing young voters.

  “He totally remade the electorate... young people who were inspired by what he had going on.” — Krystal (02:49)

• Establishment Panic:
  Former governor Andrew Cuomo refuses to concede and re-enters the race, joined by scandal-ridden Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
• Trump’s Interference:
  Trump is actively maneuvering to benefit Cuomo, with reports that his advisers offered Adams a federal job if he quits.

  “It’s pretty wild, Sagar, to see Trump trying to get directly involved and really putting some [weight] on the scales. And this is the strange bedfellows thing for Andrew Cuomo...” — Krystal (05:17)

Notable Quotes & Commentary:

• On Adams and Sliwa:
  “Sliwa has come out and said, absolutely not. I’m here for New York. I don’t want a job in the Trump administration.” — Krystal (05:50)
• The ‘Cuomo–Trump’ Alliance:

  “It just shows you how much of [Cuomo’s] posturing as some great anti-Trump resistance figure was total and complete bullshit.” — Krystal (06:22)

• Political Strategy Skepticism:
  “If Zoron winning and being a disaster would be good for... for Trump, so you would actually want him to win. It’s like an accelerationist philosophy...” — Sagar (06:26)
  “In a democratic environment right now, you don’t want nothing to do with Donald Trump.” — Sagar (07:17)

Democratic Party Turmoil (09:20–13:00)

• Establishment Still Resists Mamdani:
  Despite his success, Democratic leaders like Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer withhold support.
• Party Splintering:
  Congressman Tom Suozzi bluntly states, “Zoran Mamdani and other Democratic socialists should create their own party.” (10:31)
• On Party Realignment:

  “I kind of agree with him... I would like to see more political parties because... Primaries are very useful for this purpose because you can eventually take over a party.” — Sagar (11:11)

• Zoran as Outsider:
  The success of candidates like Zoran (and previously Bernie Sanders) reflects broad dissatisfaction with political norms.

  “That’s why Zoran is popular. Because he doesn’t seem like a politician.” — Sagar (12:24)

2. US Strike on Venezuela & Regime Change Fears

Interview with Juan David Rojas (15:14–30:28)

Background:

• The Trump administration conducted a strike on a boat it claims belonged to the Tren de Aragua drug cartel, designating it as “narco-terrorists” but releasing no evidence.
• Critics argue this is a pretext for intervention in Venezuela, not a bona fide anti-drug operation.

Key Points:

• Skepticism of US Claims:
  “What we’ve seen time and time again with this government is that their credibility is zero... They’re not the Bloods and the Crips. They’re not MS-13.” — Juan David Rojas (16:12)
• Dubious Legality and Evidence:

  “Have they released any evidence? No, they have not.” — Krystal (15:47) “The legality of this is still dubious... they claim in... that because it was designated a foreign terrorist organization, they have the authority to just, you know, extrajudicially kill them. As if, you know, they were like Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.” — Juan (16:57)

• Changing Narratives:
  “Rubio’s changed his story... First, that the boat was going to Trinidad, then that it was going to the US... Very unlikely.” — Juan (18:40)
• Bigger Geopolitical Picture:
  Sagar draws parallels to the Noriega operation in Panama — using drugs as pretext for regime change.

  “This looks like a very convenient Noriega style operation... an excuse of regime change in Venezuela.” — Sagar (19:29)

Notable Quotes:

• On Justifying Strikes:
  “We’re bringing the war on terror... stretched beyond recognition. But to then use it against a cartel is another. Extraordinarily, we’ll call it a legal leap.” — Krystal (18:02)
• Ethical Concerns:
  “The genius, the despicable genius of this is that... they intercepted like communications of the so called, the alleged traffickers. But... they might keep it as a state secret...” — Juan (22:27)

Venezuela & Regional Fallout:

• Maduro’s Response:
  “He loves this... [It] gives them an excuse to crack down on dissent, you know, diffuse blame for all of their own, like, ups.” — Juan (25:07)
• Mexican Relations:
  “While Mexico and its government has a lot of links and corruption... Mexico’s also the number one trading partner of the United States... To shut down the border, you would genuinely nuke the US Economy.” — Sagar (26:23)
• Nihilistic Policy Drivers:
  “A lot of it is vibes. A lot of it is symbolism... So with Mexico, I can see them just, like, doing some kind of strike just because... it makes the base feel good.” — Juan (27:20)

Warning on Destabilization:

• “Venezuela is a failed state... Like, you remove this guy... we’re in some sort of prolonged Vietnam, Iraq-esqe war in our hemisphere. Like, my God. And what are the migratory consequences?” — Juan (29:24)
• “More people would leave. Venezuela is not going to get fixed overnight. And most sober Venezuelans know this.” — Juan (30:15)

3. Tim Dillon, Comedians & Saudi Arabia’s Comedy Festival: The Ethics of 'Cash-Grab' Culture

Dark Satire and Brutal Honesty (32:34–46:00)

Key Topic:

• Big-name comedians (Chappelle, Dillon, Burr, Cummings, Davidson, Hart, and more) are cashing in on the biggest comedy festival in the world — in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, despite the kingdom’s human rights record.

Tim Dillon’s ‘Brutal Honesty’

• “They’re paying me $375,000 for one show... I am doing this because they’re paying me a large sum of money. They’re paying me enough money to look the other way. Do you understand? Look the other way.” — Tim Dillon (33:26)
• “If I look the other way and I see someone being beheaded... That might be interesting to just kind of see actually how they do it... I will look the other way because I’m being paid enough money to look the other way.”

  “What don’t you understand? What is so complicated? I’m the only honest person who’s gonna do it. Everyone else... is gonna go, well, actually, the Middle East is more progressive now... No, no, no, no, no, no. I’m being paid a lot of money to not care about what they do in their country.” — Tim Dillon (34:00–35:27)

Krystal’s Critique (35:29–38:30)

• Saudi Sportswashing:
  “The Saudi Comedy Festival, of course, is just the Kingdom’s long list of sports and cultural events where they have doled out tens or hundreds of millions of dollars so that people will do exactly what Tim suggests and look the other way.”
• Global Ethics Eroded by Cash:
  “This is where we are now in whatever end state of capitalism where money’s our god... we are witnessing a total and complete moral collapse.”

Tim Dillon on Gaza, Israel, and End Times Sentiment:

• “Nobody’s putting the time in to lie to you anymore. You should worry about that... they don’t care if you believe them. I’ll be in Riyadh where my bread is buttered... because the world is ending... Go get your bread buttered...” — Tim Dillon (38:30)

4. Reflections on Collective Action, Moral Collapse, Hope, and the Future

Krystal and Sagar’s Closing Philosophical Debate (39:38–52:37)

Are We Spiraling Toward Cynicism or Is There Still Hope?

• Krystal on Moral Collapse:
  “Is that the vibe we’re talking about?... After we were lied into the Iraq war and the economy collapsed… are we left with moral collapse, cash grabs, scammers, a race to the bottom and torture as a form of entertainment?” (39:38)

• The Counter-Example of Zoran’s Campaign:
  “There is something that I genuinely find so special and hopeful about his campaign. It’s the tiniest glimmer, the possibility of a renewed sense of a collective spirit... 4000... earnest people came out for a Sunday scavenger hunt for this campaign. Young people snapped out of their Tiktok ennui to completely remake the electorate and shock the world.” (39:55)

• Solidarity in Gaza:
  “Just think about that in Gaza. Their world may literally be ending... and still they stubbornly refuse to become the animals that we have been told they are.” — Krystal (42:14)
  (On Dr. Mohammad Mustafa’s testimony of Gazan children sharing food amid deprivation.)

• Sagar’s Skepticism:
  “I hate to say it, I just think it’s very... You’re too optimistic... I individually, I am not naive enough to believe that I individually, or whatever example we do, is going to influence the vast majority of people to change their behavior...We basically live in Vegas. Our president is literally a casino magnate.” — Sagar (42:47, 44:02)

• Are We Doomed to Wait for Crisis?
  “I don’t have faith that the political system will deliver the change that you’re looking for... There’s only two ways you and I are gonna get the country we want: massive global financial crisis or a massive war. That’s another reason I was talking earlier about China. And the most likely scenario is that we are going... to be just like the 1930s... 1914 or 1939, the entire world will change in a single day.” — Sagar (48:32)

Final Words of (Cautious) Optimism

• Krystal:
  “I am not ready to hand society off to the Peter Thiels of the world and the Donald Trumps of the world who would sell it off for parts... I’m not prepared to just give in and say nothing matters...” (45:28, 47:58)
• Sagar:
  “To see the collectivization, the ditching of individualism... it’s gonna take a lot, I think.” (52:37)

Notable Moments & Quotes with Timestamps

• Zoran's "No Means No" Quote on Cuomo:
  “Cuomo stayed in the race ‘cause he doesn’t understand that no means no is his line on that.” — Krystal (09:20)

• Tim Dillon’s Honesty on Saudi gig:
  “I’m the only honest person who’s gonna do it. Everyone else... they’re gonna go, ‘well, actually the Middle East is more progressive now...’ No, no... I’m being paid a lot of money to not care about what they do in their country.” — Tim Dillon (35:27)

• On Collective Action in Gaza:
  “[A child] who’s hungry... starts scooping out food from his plate to put on their child’s plate. When we had COVID... we were fighting over toilet paper... And yet you have starving children who are traumatized, who are sharing their food with each other.” — Dr. Mohammad Mustafa (as recounted by Krystal/Sagar, 41:26)

Key Takeaways

• Elite Panic and Backroom Deals: Despite a groundswell of support for progressive candidates, the political establishment—including Democratic leaders—will work across party lines (and even with Trump) to protect their interests.
• US Foreign Policy Hypocrisy: The “war on drugs” is often a convenient excuse for broader regime change objectives; facts on the ground are subordinate to political theater.
• Moral and Cultural Decay: Our culture is increasingly transactional, with everyone (from comedians to presidents) encouraged to “get their bread buttered”—often at the cost of basic ethics.
• Glimmers of Hope: However small, acts of collective courage—whether in New York’s elections or the resilience of Palestinians—serve as counters to the prevailing nihilism.
• Will Change Ever Come? The hosts remain split: Krystal sees hope in emergent collective projects, Sagar suspects real change will only come amid catastrophic crisis.

Topics by Timestamp

• Trump’s Interference in NYC Mayoral Election: 02:37–13:00
• US Policy in Venezuela and Juan David Rojas Interview: 15:14–30:28
• Tim Dillon, Comedians, and the Saudi 'Cash Grab': 32:34–38:30
• Moral Decline, Gaza Solidarity, and Debate on Hope: 38:30–52:37

This episode of Breaking Points offers a bracing, unsentimental analysis of power, morality, and the fragile glimmers of collective action in a world that often seems stacked against them.