Mark Levin Podcast – October 24, 2025

Episode: "Mark Levin Unpacks the NYC Mayoral Showdown"

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mark Levin dives into the evolving NYC mayoral race, examining the recent candidate debate and the broader political climate. The show opens with breaking news about a sweeping NBA betting and mafia scandal, then transitions into in-depth discussions on U.S. policy, the history and significance of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), the intersection of faith and politics, and the left’s stance on immigration and government shutdowns. Levin interjects the episode with passionate critiques, historical lessons, and listener calls, staying true to his energetic, controversial, and combative style.

1. NBA Betting Scandal & Mafia Ties

[00:01–22:21]

Key Points

• Mark Levin reads and reacts to New York Post reporting on an FBI bust that uncovered illegal gambling schemes involving four NBA teams and multiple mafia crime families, netting $7 million over two years.
• Players and coaches — including Chauncey Billups (Portland Trailblazers coach), Terry Rozier (Miami Heat), and Damon Jones (former NBA player) — are among roughly 30 indicted individuals.
• The mafia allegedly used high-tech cheating like "LED contact lenses and barcode scanners" to rig poker games.
• Rozier is accused of tipping off mobsters about an early exit from a game, influencing $200,000 in bets.

Notable Quotes

• Mark Levin: “It doesn’t take much to poison sports. It really doesn’t.” [03:25]
• FBI Director Cash Patel: “This isn’t hundreds of dollars… we’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery…” [12:05]
• FBI Asst. Dir. Christopher Reyer: “Victims were attracted to play alongside well-known professional athletes… only to be unknowingly deceived through rigged shuffling machines.” [15:07]

Analysis

Levin laments the integrity crisis in the NBA, arguing that scandals like this erode public faith in sports—and ultimately, in American pastimes that “should be kosher, that they’re straight.”

2. Historic Claims to Judea and Samaria

[22:22–50:31]

Key Points

• Levin launches into a historical overview of Jewish ties to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), referencing biblical history and Jewish scholarship.
• He challenges the narrative that Israel is “annexing” land, asserting that “Judea and Samaria always belonged to the Jews,” and likens current objections to America being told to give up Hawaii or Guam.
• Cites the Talmud and rabbinic history to reinforce that Jewish and Christian holy sites are indigenous to Israel — not to “Palestinians,” a term he claims is a modern invention.
• Criticizes U.S. officials and politicians who pressure Israel on territorial decisions, framing it as ignorance of biblical and historical legitimacy.

Notable Quotes

• Mark Levin: “If Judea and Samaria don’t belong to the Jews, who does it belong to?” [30:01]
• Levin: “How do you annex land that’s always belonged to you?” [48:10]

Tone

Levin is forceful and unapologetic, weaving together ancient history and present-day geopolitics. He frames U.S. pressure on Israel as both ahistorical and hypocritical.

3. NYC Mayoral Debate: Candidates & Ideologies

[50:32–1:19:03]

Key Points

• Levin recaps highlights from the NYC mayoral debate between Curtis Sliwa, Andrew Cuomo, and Zohran Mamdani. He heaps praise on Sliwa (“a great man, a great debater”) and lambasts Mamdani as an inexperienced “Marxist Islamist.”
• Plays and reacts to Mamdani’s debate answers, criticizing his lack of substance and position-flipping.
• Endorses Sliwa’s pragmatic take on dealing with Trump for NYC’s benefit, warning that picking fights with the president results in lost Federal funds.

Notable Quotes

• Levin: “This is probably the least substantively experienced person to ever have a serious shot of being mayor of New York. Guy’s literally done nothing except spew Marxist Islamist revolutionary propaganda.” [01:02:00]
• Curtis Sliwa (on Trump): “You can’t beat Trump. He holds most of the cards. ... If you act like you’re going to take him on... we’re going to lose. All the people in New York City are going to lose.” [01:08:45]

4. National Issues: Health Care and Immigration

[1:19:04–1:53:00]

Key Points

• Levin sharply critiques the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), arguing it’s unaffordable, limits choice, and that Democrat-proposed expansions will further implode the system and drive costs skyward.
• He contends that Democrats are using the government shutdown showdown to surreptitiously expand Medicaid/healthcare access to illegal immigrants, employing legal sleight-of-hand and changing definitions.
• Draws contrasts with socialized medicine abroad, warning (in his words) of a Weimar Republic-like inflation crisis if Democrat policies are not checked.

Notable Quotes

• “It’s not about affordability… it’s about centralization, about control.” [1:20:40]
• “The Democrats said, oh yes, they are getting these benefits. So they're blackmailing you and me… unless you agree to give the illegal aliens Medicaid, we're not voting to open that 17% of the government.” [1:25:20]

5. Faith, History & America’s Future

[1:53:01–2:29:00]

Key Points

• Levin explores the intertwining of Christian and Jewish history, the philosophical foundations of the American republic, and the threats he perceives from Marxist and Islamist ideologies.
• He reads from a Daily Mail article predicting Christianity’s demographic decline in America, and contrasts Judeo-Christian/Enlightenment values with those of Marxists and Islamists, positing a broad existential battle for the West.
• Urges Christians and Jews to recognize common cause; warns that after Jews, Christianity itself will be targeted by radical Islamists.

Notable Quotes

• “Everything precious in the Christian faith came through the Holy Land... the enduring legacy of God’s work through his chosen people.” [1:59:45]
• “Christianity in the United States is the biggest problem for the Marxist Islamists. It’s not Judaism… but once the Christians are outnumbered, they become the main target.” [2:21:16]

6. The Shutdown, Democrats, ICE, and Political Tactics

[2:29:01–3:15:00]

Key Points

• Levin rails against the Democratic Party for enabling illegal immigration, defending “sanctuary” tactics, and allegedly endangering federal law enforcement (ICE agents) by backing “ICE tracker” apps and threatening local police action against the feds.
• Criticizes Democratic leaders by name, using provocative insults (characteristic of his style), and decries the shutdown as calculated for radical political ends, hurting American workers for leverage.
• Plays clips of House Speaker Mike Johnson and others, painting Republicans as standing between order and “radical Marxist” chaos.

Notable Quotes

• Mike Johnson: “Democrats would not have shut the government down this time if their political careers did not depend on it.” [2:33:30]
• Levin: “They are so embedded with the illegal aliens, they need those birthright citizenship kid votes. When they get older, they need the illegal aliens, they brought them here for a reason.” [2:41:45]

7. Listener Calls: Biblical History, Shutdown Realities, and Everyday Voices

[3:15:01–End]

Key Points

• Levin fields calls from listeners, including a veterinarian (Glenn) who draws connections between Old Testament stories and the shared fate of Jews and Christians, and a government worker (Chris) who points out the damaging impact of the shutdown on federal employees.
• Expresses gratitude to veterans, religious communities, and “red-blooded Americans,” ending the show on a populist note.

Notable Quotes

• Caller Glenn: “Christians and Jews were literally joined at the hip through a wrestling match. It’s amazing, isn’t it?” [3:22:08]
• Caller Chris (government worker): “I find it so bananas that the essential… services of the United States, and they just… will not budge. This is our tool.” [3:42:35]
• Levin: “We salute our armed forces, police officers, firefighters, emergency personnel, truckers… Where would the world be without you?” [End]

Notable Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• On the NBA scandal:
  “It doesn’t take much to poison sports.” ([03:25])
• FBI lays out mafia operation:
  “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery…” ([12:05])
• On Judea and Samaria:
  “If Judea and Samaria don’t belong to the Jews, who does it belong to?” ([30:01])
• NYC debate slam:
  “This is probably the least substantively experienced person to ever have a serious shot at being mayor of New York… nothing except spew Marxist Islamist revolutionary propaganda.” ([01:02:00])
• On Christian-Jewish ties:
  “Everything precious in the Christian faith came through the Holy Land… through their faithfulness, often in the face of great adversity, [the Jews] have been instrumental…” ([1:59:45])
• End-of-episode signoff:
  “We salute our armed forces… Where would the world be without you?” ([End])

Episode Structure & Tone

• Structure: Structured, in-depth monologue with intermittent soundbites, readings from news and historical sources, and robust listener engagement.
• Tone: Combative, scholarly-yet-folksy, with signature sarcasm and indignation. Levin is unapologetic in his conservative views, especially on faith, history, immigration, and Constitutional governance.

Summary

This episode is a whirlwind tour of news, history, politics, and faith, all filtered through Mark Levin’s distinctive lens of constitutional conservatism. He delivers a harsh verdict on the NBA scandal, skewers “radical” elements in the Democratic Party, and mounts a fervent defense of Israel and Judeo-Christian civilization, warning against the perils of leftist and Islamist ideologies. Listener stories and historical exegesis provide levity and perspective, anchoring the show’s combative style in a broader cultural argument over America’s future.

For listeners seeking a blend of hard-hitting political analysis, lessons in history and faith, and vigorous critique of progressive policy, this episode is archetypal Levin.