ZOHRAN MAMDANI Talks Meeting Trump, Mayoral Election, Arsenal

Summary

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The Adam Friedland Show

Guest: ZOHRAN MAMDANI (Mayor-elect, NYC)
Date: November 24, 2025
Episode Theme:
"ZOHRAN MAMDANI Talks Meeting Trump, Mayoral Election, Arsenal"

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Overview

This episode of The Adam Friedland Show features a candid, funny, and heartfelt conversation with ZOHRAN MAMDANI, the recently elected Mayor of New York City. The discussion moves seamlessly between New York politics, friendship, soccer obsession (especially Arsenal FC), generational change in leadership, and the surreal experience of meeting President Donald Trump at the White House. Throughout, Adam and Zoran keep the tone irreverent yet grounded, often veering into personal anecdotes and self-deprecating humor.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Surreal Experience Meeting President Trump

• Timestamps: 16:10 – 21:09
• Zoran recounts his visit to the White House, taking a selfie on Air Force One, and what it was like being given a personal tour by Trump.
  • Adam teases Zoran’s “Drake vibes” for posting a no-caption selfie from the plane, jokingly suggesting he looked like he’d “hit the edible before the flight.”

    “No caption. That is like Drake vibes a little bit.” — Adam Friedland (16:11) “You look a little bit like you hit the edible before the flight.” — Adam Friedland (16:35)

• Zoran—laughing—explains he “just knocked out on the plane.”
• Adam asks about strange moments with Trump: Zoran describes being shown the Cabinet Room and the president’s portraits, noting that the Oval Office was “beautiful” and that they discussed FDR.
• Notable detail: He was surprised to see a “UFC at the White House” coffee table book.

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2. Political Agenda & City Leadership

• Timestamps: 18:34 – 20:35, 22:07 – 23:55
• Zoran frames his campaign and governance as focused almost obsessively on affordability—groceries, rent, utilities, childcare:

  "A meeting where we talked about ULURP, we talked about, you know, groceries, Con Ed, rent, childcare... That feels like the best meeting you could have." — Zoran Mamdani (20:32)

• Adam suggests Trump sensed Zoran’s “swagger” and popularity.
• Zoran notes both serious disagreements and points of connection with Trump on affordability/cost of living.
• He gives insights into running against Eric Adams and pushes back against the notion that New York must only be led from the political right:

  “I wanted to make a case specific about cost of living... [many thought] the only way to beat someone heading towards the right is to head towards the right yourself.” — Zoran Mamdani (22:52)

• Zoran admits doubt: he gave himself “a 3% chance of winning.”

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3. Personal Background and Upbringing

• Timestamps: 10:05 – 13:04
• The pair reminisce about both growing up in New York, and unexpectedly, both spending time as children in Cape Town, South Africa. They connect over shared immigrant family stories, apartheid, family roots, and soccer.
• Adam describes his parents’ story—leaving South Africa because his father was on an apartheid-era “enemies list,” creating a bond between their family histories.

  “When I was a kid, I used to write my, like, essays, like, 'who’s your hero?' on my Diba [Mandela] because it connected me to my parents.” — Adam Friedland (11:29)

• Commentary on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, vuvuzelas, and Zoran’s heartbreak at seeing Ghana lose to Uruguay.

  “That's where I cried in public.” — Zoran Mamdani (12:53)

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4. Soccer Obsession & Arsenal

• Timestamps: 7:00 – 14:03, 39:04 – End
• Endearing banter about Arsenal FC, obscure soccer players, and the pain of living as a dedicated Arsenal supporter.
• Special moments: Messages from famous Arsenal figures (implied as celebrity audio greetings).

  “I love this man.” — Zoran Mamdani, responding to a video message from Arsenal legend (8:30) “Representation matters.” — Zoran Mamdani (13:33) “The mayor caring about Arsenal is like Wakanda for me.” — Adam Friedland (13:04)

• Recurring jokes about soccer heartbreak preparing them for disappointment in politics and in life.

  “You cannot count it... being an Arsenal fan, it’s the hope that kills you. It’s never done...” — Zoran Mamdani (25:36)

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5. Generational Change & Representation

• Timestamps: 13:34 – 15:51
• Adam marvels at having a peer from his generation—who deeply “gets” hip hop, soccer, and immigrant family experiences—leading NYC.

  “My entire life, this kind of feels like the first time that someone from my generation has ascended to leadership.” — Adam Friedland (13:34)

• Discussion on being “unked” (treated as the uncle/elder), and both laugh about neither knowing what an assembly member technically does.
• Zoran discusses staying grounded: “spending as much time as possible with people I knew before...the day ones.”

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6. Media, Messaging, and Progressive Clarity

• Timestamps: 34:22 – 40:46
• Insights on making progressive politics accessible:

  “The point is to bring people into politics, not to condescend to them as to why they’re not already there. And it’s also just much easier being yourself.” — Zoran Mamdani (40:28)

• Shout-out to FTC Chair Lina Khan for her “clear and concise” antitrust messaging, and Adam’s awe at her honesty.
• Zoran emphasizes importance of not getting distracted by amplified voices of the rich and powerful:

  “You always have to remember that the opinions that you’re hearing...from the wealthy and the powerful...will always be amplified in a way that working people’s are not.” — Zoran Mamdani (42:09)

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7. Transition, Team Building, and Staying True

• Timestamps: 33:24 – 34:22; 38:21 – 39:40
• Discussion on picking a balanced team—combining “mud” (experience) and vision. First deputy mayor, Dean Fulahan, brings 47 years of government experience but retains “imagination.” Chief of staff El Bisgar Church has been Zoran’s key aide from day one.

  “The thing that I love about him [Dean Fulahan]...is his orientation is how do we make a no into a how when it comes to any political problem...” — Zoran Mamdani (34:00)

• On surviving the scrutiny and stress of being mayor: the necessity of not losing oneself in politics.

  “Whatever you do, make sure you can recognize yourself in the mirror at the end of the day.” — advice to Zoran from Alia Latif, quoted (38:22)

• Hilarious story: Zoran takes a selfie with a fan at a Wu-Tang concert who immediately flips him off for the photo; both agree that’s peak New York.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the pressure to deliver:

  “There are a lot of people who don’t know if they should give themselves permission to hope again because of how many times they’ve been disappointed. And you have to prove that they were right to believe.” — Zoran Mamdani (35:27)

• On fame and normalcy:

  “I was still working in politics, but I was also walking around my neighborhood like anybody else. I went to the White House... I was gonna tell you I went to Duane Reade. But both are true.” — Zoran Mamdani (15:05)

• Self-deprecation about losing hair:

  “You think your face, brother. You see them always. Yeah. You’re going bald already.” — Adam Friedland (40:50)
  “What do you mean, already? I’ve been going bald.” — Zoran Mamdani (40:54)

• On New Yorkers' opinions:

  “To be a New Yorker, you’re gonna hear a lot of people’s opinions.” — Zoran Mamdani (37:40)

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Major Segments & Timestamps

• White House and Meeting Trump: 16:10 – 21:09
• Background & Upbringing: 10:05 – 13:04
• Soccer & Arsenal: 07:00 – 14:03; 39:04 – End
• Why He Ran for Mayor: 22:07 – 23:55
• Handling Fame/Government Work: 15:38 – 16:39; 33:24 – 34:22
• Progressive Messaging & Staying Grounded: 34:22 – 42:09
• Respecting the Power of Example: 42:09 – 43:00

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Conclusion

This episode offers a refreshingly honest look at a new generation of political leadership—informed as much by football and hip hop as by policy wonkery—with Zoran Mamdani presenting a mix of humility, humor and hope rarely seen in municipal politics. At each turn, both host and guest keep things personal, sometimes silly, and always relatable. A must-listen for New Yorkers, progressives, and football nerds alike.

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Transcript

[Adam Friedland]

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What, like, what is it like? Like, you're like. You go to the White House, right. You take a selfie on a plane.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

No caption. That is like Drake vibes a little bit.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Hit the emoji, though.

[Adam Friedland]

You hit the emoji.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Come on, you know, play.

[Adam Friedland]

What do you think? Like, what's the game plan there?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Honestly, I knocked out on the plane.

[Adam Friedland]

I mean, you looked like. You looked a little bit like. That was the joke on the Internet. Look a little bit like you took the ed. You hit nothing.

[Zoran Mamdani]

You can say it.

[Adam Friedland]

You look a little bit like you hit the edible before the flight.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Why would you say 30 minutes?

[Adam Friedland]

I'm sorry, mister, I don't. I don't know.

Hello, and welcome to a very special episode of the Adam Friedland Show. I'm Adam Friedland. Because this is such a special episode, we've decided to release this episode to the public two days early. Additionally, we've got to give the boys some time off for Thanksgiving. I'm such a good guy. Wow. Also, we don't want to leave our members and patrons hanging. So starting next week we will be commencing a weekly members only stream, State of the tafs. Is that what the name is?

[Caller/Fan]

Sure.

[Adam Friedland]

Okay, it's called state of the TAFs where we will be taking. But it's the Adam Friedland show. So the State of the. The tafs. State of tafs. State of the State of the tafs.

State of the.

State of the State of the Adam Freeland Show. Okay, well let's stick with state of the TAFs. Okay, so starting next week we will be commencing with a weekly members only stream, it's called state of the TAFs where we'll be taking questions for members and patrons. So please, if you don't already support the Adam Friedland show on YouTube or Patreon, there's links in the description.

You can.

You guys are the ones that keep the show going. We are proudly member supported. Kind of like a social socialism vibes. My guest this week is Mayor elect of New York City and former striker of the Bronx Science Wolverines, Zoran Mamdani. On Friday, my staff huddled around the office computer and we all watched the Mayor elect's historic press conference with President Donald Trump in the oval office. My 22 year old employee, Zach tapped me on the shoulder. His voice was quivering. A tear was rolling down his cheek. I remember it clearly. He said, dad, I mean Adam, the man on the screen standing next to the President of the United States will be here in 36 hours time. But how do we get him off the computer and into the real world? I smiled and looked at him and said, if you can figure out how to do that, Zach, I'll give you a million fucking dollars. So please enjoy my conversation with Zoram Hamdani.

Everyone.

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Ladies and gentlemen, Mayor elect, New York City. Zora Momdadi.

Everyone.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Elect. Elect.

[Adam Friedland]

Congratulations.

[Zoran Mamdani]

How's it going, man?

[Caller/Fan]

How you doing?

[Zoran Mamdani]

How you doing? Good.

[Adam Friedland]

It's funny, like, when I met you, we just talked about sports.

I wasted your time, like four days before an election.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I thought it was great.

[Adam Friedland]

I know. We talked about all of our collective pain.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

The game's on right now. The North London Derby's on right now.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Three zero, baby.

[Adam Friedland]

You said you've been too busy. You've been. You've been too busy running for mayor to watch the games this year. Now you're making me too busy to watch.

[Zoran Mamdani]

But, like, we'll get an Update if it's 4.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, shit. This is unprofessional.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I thought I. I got a.

[Adam Friedland]

Someone text me. Oh, you need to see this. Oh, no, guys.

[Caller/Fan]

Isa ran. How you doing? Ian, Right here.

[Adam Friedland]

What?

[Caller/Fan]

I just want to say a massive, massive congratulations on what you've achieved. The real work, no starts now, but God willing, you can achieve everything that you've.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I love you.

[Caller/Fan]

To achieve. I'm gonna need some of that.

[Zoran Mamdani]

How did you do this?

[Caller/Fan]

Winning energy that you've got, my friend. And get behind the boys. It's a long way to go. You just have to stay calm. Back Mikhail and all the boys up the gunners, baby. Take it easy. And God bless my friend.

[Adam Friedland]

I just gotta do this. My boy is around.

[Caller/Fan]

How are you doing?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I'm just gonna watch it again.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, just watch it.

[Caller/Fan]

A massive, massive congratulations.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I love this man.

[Adam Friedland]

He's the best guy of all time.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Have you seen the video where he is reunited with his teacher.

[Adam Friedland]

Mr. Pigeon. I thought you was dead. Okay, here's the problem, guys. I don't want to expose you.

We.

We. Yeah, just. We. It's cr. I mean, right, Right, right. Okay. How did I do that? I really, really bought something wrong. I, I know. Yeah. Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Mr. President, I don't know where you were going.

[Adam Friedland]

No, no, it's not a. It's not a no.

[Zoran Mamdani]

How did you do that?

[Adam Friedland]

I, I, I knew that it was gonna be.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I love him.

[Adam Friedland]

I love him so much. He's the best guy of all time. You know his background story? He was, like, working in a factory. And then he tried to get. He's like, I'm gonna try one more time. And then he. He went to Crystal Palace. You got, like, a.

[Zoran Mamdani]

These are, like, the stories I would read when I was 17 and on the B team of a travel team in New York City. What did you play?

[Adam Friedland]

What position did you play? I played rock science.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I played up top.

[Adam Friedland]

Up top?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah. You were 9, I think I was 23.

[Adam Friedland]

Okay. But you were a striker.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yes, yes. No relation to the number on the back of my jersey.

[Adam Friedland]

We have, like, a lot of our brain is occupied by the most useless information related to this soccer team.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Every day I wake up, I think about Sebastian Squillace.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, my God.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Pascal Sigon. I think about Marwan Chamak.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, I caught you. Like, I'd be a little bit of a politician because I said that Ospina.

Was giving me nightmares, and you're like.

Jackson Heights is in the balance.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah. It's like, lay off my Columbia culture.

[Adam Friedland]

No one cares.

[Zoran Mamdani]

No one cares.

[Adam Friedland]

We're embarrassing ourselves. Okay. You grew up in the Upper west side?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

New York City, kid.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yep. Yes, sir.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Where did you grow up?

[Adam Friedland]

Well, we actually. We both lived a little bit as kids in Cape Town. Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

You lived in Cape Town?

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

Where'd you live?

Observatory.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I lived in Oranjezecht.

[Adam Friedland]

That's where my mom grew up.

[Zoran Mamdani]

From 96 to 99.

[Adam Friedland]

My mother grew up in Oranjezecht.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

Both my parents are from Cape Town. What? I was born in la. My dad was on a list of some sort.

[Zoran Mamdani]

You gotta give me more than that.

[Adam Friedland]

My dad and mom both went to university in London.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Okay.

[Adam Friedland]

We're Jews from Cape Town.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Okay.

[Adam Friedland]

And then. And then they met in South Africa. They met at home in Cape Town. They kept getting set up on blind dates, and she was like, this fucking guy again. And then somehow he wore it down. And then they got married, and he got a letter that he Was being sent to Angola to the civil war. And so they left. They just.

[Zoran Mamdani]

When did they.

[Adam Friedland]

82. So I was born in LA.

Okay.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Have you been taken?

[Adam Friedland]

My dad was on an enemies list because of the apartheid regime, and so.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Not a bad list.

[Adam Friedland]

I met when I was a kid. And then I was there back. My granny's from Sea Point. None of the granny's left. And actually, are they still there?

Granny's still there.

94. She just got a hip. You want to send her a video?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Let's do it.

[Adam Friedland]

Hi, Granny. Congrats on your.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Congrats on the hip.

[Adam Friedland]

Congrats on the hip, Esther. Congrats on the hip. I promise I'm trying my best in life. No, she's very proud of me. I told her I have the mayor coming on, and. No, no. So, yeah, my diba actually was. He was like. When I was a kid, I used to write my, like, essays like, who's your hero? On my dba because it connected me to my parents. Because, like, it was like, yeah, yeah. But he went to our synagogue after parts. After he got out of jail, he was elected, and he was like, you got to tell your kids to come back because we need everyone to build a country. And like, my parents, whole generation of Jews.

[Zoran Mamdani]

So. Why are you not following Madiba right now?

[Adam Friedland]

Because I had to talk to you, you know, And I got this studio and it's fucking. It's a lot. It's a lot.

[Zoran Mamdani]

You know, I. Last time I went back was in 2010.

[Adam Friedland]

2010 for the world Cup. Steve.

Fucking the Jabba lala.

Was it obnoxious? Yeah. Could you not hear anything?

[Zoran Mamdani]

You hate it if you're not the one doing it. And I was one of the people doing it.

[Adam Friedland]

You got one?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah, I brought them back.

[Adam Friedland]

I bought one.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Back to Maine?

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I went to a D3 basketball game. My roommate.

[Adam Friedland]

I was on the basketball team and.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I had the vuvuzela, I think I was at Bates College. And I pulled it out and I blew it. And the ref stopped the game. And he was like, you need to fucking stop.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah. And you're like, come on. Didn't you see the World Cup? Didn't you see the ball that went.

In all different directions, but I was.

[Zoran Mamdani]

At the Ghana, Uruguay game.

[Adam Friedland]

No.

[Zoran Mamdani]

That's where I cried in public.

[Adam Friedland]

No.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah. Luis Suarez.

[Adam Friedland]

Asamoa Gyan, dude.

Var.

Guys.

[Zoran Mamdani]

It was the closest.

[Adam Friedland]

The mayor caring about. Caring about soccer is the mayor caring about Arsenal is like Wakanda for me. It's like, I feel like, it's like representation. Do you remember that tweet you're one of? I remember your tweet.

[Zoran Mamdani]

No, no, no. Not the. What is it? Ruth Konda Forever.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Like, when I met you, one thing that was like remarkable is like we were talking, we were talking about soccer and hip hop.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

And I was like, we are losers. But I was like, we're the same.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Representation matters.

[Adam Friedland]

We're the same generation. Right. It dawned on me that my entire life, this kind of feels like the first time that someone from my generation has ascended to leadership. I guess Mayor Pete did, but he was more of a suck up to the parents. You're more one of us, I think. I don't know. He couldn't laugh at that. Or he could laugh at that. No. You're mad at me. She gets mad at me, she yells at me. Olivia, can you tell her to take it easy? Anyway, that's. Give it up for Olivia. How to communicate. Why is everyone so nervous?

[Zoran Mamdani]

That's Monica. That's Amelia.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, Amelia.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Sorry. That's Amelia.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, sorry. Okay, I cut that.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Okay.

[Adam Friedland]

How you. Yeah. You're mayoring people older than you. Are you getting unked?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Okay, can you explain to me, what does unk stand for?

[Adam Friedland]

Uncle.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Someone told me it stood for uncool. No, it's uncle.

[Adam Friedland]

It's uncle.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Alright.

[Adam Friedland]

You have old heads. Uncs and OGs.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Just wanted to make sure.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. You were unknown like a year ago.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah. I mean, even my friends didn't know what an assembly member was.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. I still don't know and I don't want to know. In fact, I mean, you're perhaps one of the most famous people in America right now. I mean, it's weird. Is it weird? Yeah. How have you adjusted to that?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I think I try and spend as much time as possible with people I knew before I was the day ones the mayor elect. Yeah. And I think the nice thing about being an assembly member is I was still working in politics, but I was also walking around my neighborhood like anybody else.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, I went to.

[Adam Friedland]

You went to the White House.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Okay, I went to the White House. I was gonna tell you I went to Duane Reade. But both of them are true.

[Adam Friedland]

Okay, let's start on the Dwayne Reid.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Okay, Start on Dwayne Reid. We went in there, pick up some from the apartment. This guy in front of us has a pack of condoms and breath mints. And he turns around, he goes, Mr. Mayor. And he looks at my wife, he goes, Mrs. Mayor. And that's our experience now at Duane Reade. Yeah. Best life in Astoria.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, the condoms had.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I don't know.

[Adam Friedland]

He was like, Mr. Mayor, I'm about to lose my virginity. Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

He left it at that.

[Adam Friedland]

I would like you to know I'm about to become a mayor.

[Zoran Mamdani]

He just gave the titles.

[Adam Friedland]

What is this last year feeling like and what has the adjustment been like?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Like, I mean, it's. It's. To be honest with you, I haven't spent all that much time reflecting on it.

[Adam Friedland]

You should.

[Zoran Mamdani]

It's so go, go, go.

[Adam Friedland]

You should just work a lot. Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Have you checked the Reddit Sound like the inner voice.

[Adam Friedland]

Is there a zoron, Mom? Donnie read it.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I don't know. Is there?

[Adam Friedland]

Probably don't check it though.

[Zoran Mamdani]

No.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, just don't read the comments.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I always forget to put the extra slash R when I'm like typing in the URL. I don't even.

[Adam Friedland]

What is, like, what is it like? Like, you're like. You go to the. You go to the White House. Right. You take a selfie on a plane.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

No caption. That is like Drake vibes a little bit.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Hit the emoji, though.

[Adam Friedland]

You hit the emoji.

[Zoran Mamdani]

You know what I mean?

[Adam Friedland]

What do you think about the plane? What do you think like? Do you think, like. What are you. What's the game plan there?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Honestly? I knocked out on the plane.

[Adam Friedland]

You slept.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Slept.

[Adam Friedland]

It's a 30 minute flight. I mean, you looked like. You looked a little bit like. That was the joke on the Internet. I don't know if I can make these jokes a little bit like you took the. You hit nothing.

[Zoran Mamdani]

You can say it.

[Adam Friedland]

You look a little bit like you hit the edible before the flight.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Why would you know. It's 30 minutes.

[Adam Friedland]

I'm sorry, mister. May I?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Why would you say that?

[Adam Friedland]

I don't know. I apologize. You walk in like, did he gave you a tour of the White House?

[Zoran Mamdani]

He gave me a tour of.

[Adam Friedland]

What was the weirdest thing he showed you?

[Zoran Mamdani]

The Oval Office and the Cabinet Room. What's the weirdest thing he had to.

[Adam Friedland]

Have shown you one thing. Weird.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, he showed me the. Showed me the portraits of all the presidents in the Cabinet Room.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. He saved the FDR for you.

[Zoran Mamdani]

The FDR was beautiful. It was really nice and we talked about FDR for a little bit and honestly, you don't have the LaGuardia record if you don't have FTR. Yeah, we talked about that. I walked in first. You get there and it's just you alone and There are two people guiding you through to get to the Oval Office. They're like, they want you to see this room and that room. And then I sit down waiting for the time of the meeting, and in front of me are, like, all these different coffee table books, and one of them is UFC at the White House. Oh, yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

He's bringing it there, right?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I had no idea, but I was.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Flipping through that.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. And so you saw, like, guys fighting each other.

[Zoran Mamdani]

No, it was just a.

[Adam Friedland]

What was it? Usualization. Oh, of the.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Of, like, what the.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, the octagon is.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah. It's gonna look like.

[Adam Friedland]

Are you gonna go?

[Zoran Mamdani]

No.

[Adam Friedland]

Can I ask you a question? Like, how did you not laugh when the.

[Zoran Mamdani]

135.

[Adam Friedland]

How did you keep the face? When? During the press conference. Oh, because we was. We were all dying. And I'm like. My boy Zoron was like, just straight face. He said, just tell him yes. Yeah. How did. How did you keep that face?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Honestly, I was just thinking about New York City.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, it's like the whole time I was. I was trying to think about the difference between if you have a White House that is working towards an affordability agenda or one that's making it harder to live in the city.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

That's kind of what kept.

[Adam Friedland]

Do you feel like. Do you feel like as if, you know, the president sees your popularity? You know, he loves the ratings ton of reporters. He sees that. He's, I think, handsome. I think he thought handsome. Did you have eyes up here, Mr. President? You were elected because you're trusted on your policies for affordability. Do you think he's maybe a little bit trying to, like, swagger Jack?

A little bit?

[Zoran Mamdani]

You know, I actually think there's. There are a lot of places of disagreement with the President. I think one of the things that was remarkable to me is I told him that, you know, our campaign started on October 23rd of last year, but the moment when a lot of people, or not a lot of people, some people started paying attention was after he won the presidency. We did the video on Fordham Road, Hillside Avenue. We talked to Trump voters, and we asked them why they voted for him. And it just went back to cost of living, and it went back to cheaper groceries. And that was a lot of our campaign.

[Adam Friedland]

And he liked that. It was 1 in 10, right? That's like.

[Zoran Mamdani]

He liked. Yeah. 1 in 10. I mean, did you see the guy who has the MAGA from Hamdani hat?

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Then he did the.

[Adam Friedland]

How'd that feel?

[Zoran Mamdani]

The maga from Amdani.

[Adam Friedland]

Badass.

[Zoran Mamdani]

It was wild. I remember we were gonna step. I was gonna step on Sound like such a plush list. Everything is we. I was going to step on the stage at Forest Hills where we were doing our rally.

[Adam Friedland]

Did you think it was a prank?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Well, I had a member of the NYPD pull me aside and they were like, I just want you to know that there is a man in your line of sight with a red MAGA hat. We checked and he's actually sincerely here for the rally.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, nice. So you really had to bring it. You had to do a Trump style rally for him. You had to really do. You had to do ymc. This guy's accustomed to some wild rallies. This guy's accustomed to a stadium full of.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah, it was just me and elvisguard Church.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. I mean.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, somebody from MTV Lebanon.

[Adam Friedland]

Did you expect him to like you as much as he did?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I. I was trying to prepare for a lot of different situations.

[Adam Friedland]

I know. It's like when you're on that plane, taking that selfie, I mean, that could have gone any. That could have gone in any direction. I mean, like, did that feel best case scenario or like, were you, like.

[Zoran Mamdani]

It honestly felt like the most productive meeting we could have had.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, a meeting where we talked about Ulerp, we talked about, you know, groceries, Con Ed, rent, childcare. That feels like the best meeting you could have.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. Were Eric or Donald Jr. There?

[Zoran Mamdani]

No. No.

[Adam Friedland]

Did you worry that, like, to see that was maybe difficult for them?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I wasn't thinking about that.

[Adam Friedland]

Maybe he's like, the hang has just been so bad. This cool guy came and he's like, now I have to go back to these guys. Did he say, can you sleep over? Did he come up to New York and see you?

[Zoran Mamdani]

He didn't. He didn't ask me that.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, man. I mean, it was one of the most surreal things we've ever seen as Americans.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Robin Van Persie against Charlton, baby.

[Adam Friedland]

What's the score?

[Zoran Mamdani]

3:1.

[Adam Friedland]

What? Fuck. Who scored?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Charleston from halfway line.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, did he do the pigeon from the halfway line?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Nah, dude.

[Adam Friedland]

He was being weird about it.

[Zoran Mamdani]

He scored from the halfway line? Yeah. He chipped Ryan.

[Adam Friedland]

Why? After it was off his line?

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

It wasn't Ry's fault. It was honestly just a great play for man. Why would you say that?

[Adam Friedland]

Because they're not a threat. They're not a threat.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Famous last words. What's this time?

[Adam Friedland]

Okay, 73rd. What time is it right now?

74Th.

November. What time is it?

102.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Did you watch the 4?

[Adam Friedland]

4.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Arsenal, Newcastle.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, we talked about it. It was the worst day of my life. This is an interesting moment for us because we have, like, an opportunity to have, like, a snapshot of you after an historic election and prior to the assumption of your. One of the most powerful positions in America.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Co host of the show.

[Adam Friedland]

Co host of the Adam Freeland Show. Yeah. What made you run for mayor? Like, what made you decide to run for mayor?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I think one of the things was that I was very frustrated with the fact that Eric Adams, who was at that point running for reelection, was making it more expensive to live in New York City in clear ways that he had direct control over. And then pretending like he was just a bystander, he would write a letter in support of Con Ed when they want to increase gas and electric by more than 60 bucks a month. He would raise the rent more than 12%. He would increase the water bill. He would.

[Adam Friedland]

But, like, the conditions for you, I mean.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, for me, you're like, this.

[Adam Friedland]

Is the time I'm gonna run for you.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I think the. The thinking was that I wanted to make a case specific about cost of living. And there were a lot of people who looked at kind of the swing of our politics and thought that the only way to beat someone heading towards the right is to head towards the right yourself.

[Adam Friedland]

And you felt like you were to win?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I felt like I had a 3% chance of winning, and that's probably giving me an extra three points.

[Adam Friedland]

Was there someone that you. That you spoke to who said don't run?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Oh, tons, tons.

[Adam Friedland]

Did your girl say that?

[Zoran Mamdani]

No, my wife.

[Adam Friedland]

Your wife?

You gotta.

I mean, she's still your girl. She's always gonna be your girl. She said run.

[Zoran Mamdani]

She. She was down for it. That was the final decision.

[Adam Friedland]

You're allowed.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

Is she mad at you for working so much?

[Zoran Mamdani]

No, she's.

[Adam Friedland]

She gets. She is a little bit.

[Zoran Mamdani]

She.

[Adam Friedland]

What is she. A little bit she gets? No, but it's annoying for her a little bit. She lets you work so much. Mine.

[Zoran Mamdani]

This is all permission given.

[Adam Friedland]

Mine.

Does it.

[Zoran Mamdani]

No, but I think, like, to be. To be honest with you, it's to meet someone in one stage of your life.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And then to have your life and their life transform. What it also, just, like, the level of love and support it takes from someone. I mean, I would not be able to do this without her.

[Adam Friedland]

She gets mad at you for working, too. That's not what I feel like. I feel like I looked into your eyes. I see A fellow. A fellow brother. What was the moment you knew you'd.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Win for the primary?

[Adam Friedland]

No, no. The primary and the general, I'd support.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I got two questions. You know, there isn't like a single moment. Yeah, there is. The funny thing to me is that in both of the elections from 6 to 9pm I thought I was gonna lose of election day.

[Adam Friedland]

Cause there was like, bad, like, exit.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Polling in the general. There was a rumor at around six o' clock that there were two major news networks that had bad exit polls and that showed Cuomo with an advantage.

[Adam Friedland]

He started that rumor.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Who knows, man? I mean, definitely worked. Ruined my night. Ruined my night. Primary. I remember Kevin Elkins.

[Adam Friedland]

How did you fall for that?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I'm such a mark over this stuff. Kevin Elkins, who was working on Cuomo's campaign, put out a tweet, like, I guess the most important thing is that everybody had fun. And I was like, oh, man, this means they know they're gonna win. And he's saying that to us.

[Adam Friedland]

He's in a room full of four guys at the election day party. You're in a stadium. You're in a stadium in front of a Dory fan. I think you should have looked around.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah, but never. I mean, this is like, you know, being an Arsenal fan, it's the hope that kills you. It's never done until.

[Adam Friedland]

That meant so much to me. I know exactly what you're talking about.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, you cannot count it.

[Adam Friedland]

It's a reminder that you're gonna die one day. It's like, you think that once, any, anytime you think something good's gonna happen, it just goes away.

[Zoran Mamdani]

You have to hold.

[Adam Friedland]

I think it's made us better people, though.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah. I mean, we've had to deal with disappointment for decades.

[Adam Friedland]

I think if we were like Real Madrid fans, we'd be like, cheating on our taxes. We're like, I'm gonna live forever. We have affairs, multiple fairs, create a.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Retractable roof for us.

[Adam Friedland]

We're like. We're like. We're like. It's gonna all go away. So I have to, like, make. Make. Take advantage of the time I have. It means nothing to these people.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Okay, wait, what's the. What's the 4 1?

[Adam Friedland]

SA Hatcher, let's fucking go. Sorry for cursing. 4 1.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Sorry to me.

[Adam Friedland]

Wow.

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This has become a national news story. Right. And it's a crappy time. You've made a lot of people feel like inspired. Municipal politics is obviously messy. What balance in your team that you're building right now do you have between the guys that know just like the mud and then the guys that have the vision?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I think it's looking to combine that in everybody. And I think it's tough because sometimes the more fluency and experience you have in government, the less imagination you have as to what government can be because you've had to deal with its failures for decades.

[Adam Friedland]

You've been in the cigar rooms. Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And I think we've. I think we've made a few appointments so far. The first appointment to me, Dean Fulahan, who's the first deputy mayor I appointed him, and El Bisgar Church is my chief of staff. Elle is somebody I've known for since I've been in office. I hired her as my chief of staff when I was in the assembly.

[Adam Friedland]

Which she's been with you.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah, from the jump. And she's incredible.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And Dean is somebody who'd been in government for 47 years and he'd worked as a first deputy mayor before. He'd worked as the head of the budget before he worked in Albany. And the thing that I love about him is that he's worked through all of that and still his orientation is how do we make a no into a how when it comes to any political problem, and that's a lot of people lose that the longer they work in government.

[Adam Friedland]

Do you remember the night Obama won? Like, do you remember, like, how, like, what it felt like where, like, America is different now? You feel like, to me, the first generational talent that's come out of progressive side of politics, but what we saw was, like, he wasn't prepared that the popularity didn't translate to legislative success. Did you take any notes from that? Did you learn from that?

I mean, I'm trying to draw a parallel here.

[Zoran Mamdani]

No, I think, I think, look, I think the thing, the next challenge now is fulfilling the agenda.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, right.

[Zoran Mamdani]

This excitement, inspiration, this hope, it will carry us through the beginning of the work, and then you have to start to deliver on the work. And I think that is, that is actually what makes me excited, is that I actually see a path on each of the three key agenda points. And every time you win one of them, it validates people for believing because there are a lot of people who, they don't know if they should give themselves permission to hope again because of how many times they've been disappointed. And you have to prove that they were right to believe. You have to give them. If we spent an entire campaign talking about freezing the rent for rent, stabilized tenants, fast and free buses, universal childcare, the urgency of starting to deliver on that, it's what makes people understand that they were right to demand more.

[Adam Friedland]

But is there a balance that you have to strike? Do you have to like those people that believe in you? Do you feel like there's a necessity to kind of inoculate them to understand it's not going to be overnight?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah. And I think that's. You have to be honest about a timeline and that, you know, I'm not going to tell anyone in the first 100 days we're achieving these three things. But they have to be able to see that you are working towards it and that you can actually deliver it while you're the mayor. And that's like, I've been a legislator and the legislature, it's an incredible place for where you can craft bill ideas, vote on them, debate on them. So much of whether or not they succeed has to do with whether the executive wants to implement. You could pass it through both houses, and if you have a, you know, when I first came into Albany, Cuomo was the governor, and you knew that the implementation of the law, it could be completely different than what you intended. And now I will be the executive in New York City. And that's also what gives me so much hope, is that you have the ability to follow through on so much of this. And we've been told again and again what politicians can't do. It's really what they won't do.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And that's. That's why I'm here on the Adam Friedland Show.

[Caller/Fan]

Yeah.

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

Thank you. There are plenty of ways they can fuck with you. Right?

Right.

Like, and it's not only City hall, it's like. Which is. But it's, you know, Albany, it's D.C. and it's like, it's you going out to see the president, like, showing face and showing abs, maybe. I don't know what you did.

I don't have some abs.

I don't know what you did in that room.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

Are there contingencies in place? You know, are you prepared for the fight? Because they're going to try to with you. Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, you have to be ready.

[Adam Friedland]

For that, you know, it's the worst job that you have, I don't think.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I don't think it's the worst job.

[Adam Friedland]

Why do you. Why are you doing this?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Because you get to represent New York City.

[Adam Friedland]

That's the worst job. You get booed everywhere you go.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, I saw. I still get booed anyway.

[Adam Friedland]

I saw de Blasio get booed at a Paul Simon concert.

[Zoran Mamdani]

No.

[Adam Friedland]

And it was like a PR parent family. They were like. They're like, oh, fuck, yes. I was like, what? It's the mayor. He has to get booed. I mean, I didn't know really what it is.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, but, like, that's also what I love about, like, to be a New Yorker. You're gonna hear a lot of people's opinions. Like, I went to the Wu Tang concert a few months ago.

[Adam Friedland]

You got booed.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Well, most of the reception is, like, great. People are, like, cheering, waving. They want photos. And this one guy's like, yo, come take a photo of me. I'm like, yeah, what's up, dog? And as soon as we take the photo, he pulls out the selfie, and then he just flips me off in the selfie.

[Adam Friedland]

That's funny.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And I'm like, respect.

[Adam Friedland]

Like, you zoo you a bit, though. Yeah. He likes you. I do that to my friends all the time.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

It's not that.

What it is is that it's a slog.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I mean, it is definitely a.

[Adam Friedland]

You have to do it your way, I assume.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I think a big part of it is you have to. You have to keep yourself through it.

[Adam Friedland]

All.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And you have to balance between the demands of what the city will require from you and how you don't lose yourself in the process of it. When I was. When I started in local politics, the first organization that I joined was the Muslim Democratic Club of New York. And one of the founders, her name is Alia Latif, she gave me this advice of whatever you do, make sure you can recognize yourself in the mirror at the end of the day. Yeah, I think that's a big part of how I'm thinking about this. Work as hard as I can and do so to fulfill the vision we've had. Not to comport yourself for a box that's being created.

[Adam Friedland]

I met Leena Khan. She was on the show.

[Zoran Mamdani]

She's great. Just four minute warnings. Can we get a score update? Four, one. It's domination.

[Adam Friedland]

It's domination.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I don't know what else to call it, man. Do you ever watch the Fox Soccer Channel commercials?

[Adam Friedland]

No.

[Zoran Mamdani]

This is. They used to have the epl.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

It'd just be like long commercials of Drogba.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh my.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Don't Descriptions. We have the planet of a man, Didier Drogba.

[Adam Friedland]

That's the nightmares we have.

[Zoran Mamdani]

You know, Nightmare I have is Didier Drugbull. Believe me.

[Adam Friedland]

Cindeross cry.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Michael Essien's goal, I guess.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. I met Leena Khan. She was on the show and like, she's perhaps one of the most impressive people I've ever met. And when I heard she was part of the transition team, I was like, oh, he's got. Like, he's got it.

I mean, genuinely.

I mean, I asked her if she's ever lied and she said maybe in elementary school. And I don't think. I think that was true. I mean, like, I think it was true. And what was really effective was that she communicated antitrust laws in like this complex stuff in a very clear and concise way. Sometimes progressives feel like snobs when they're talking to people.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I remember, I mean, when I was running for state assembly, we put together our first palm card and I thought it was absolutely fire. And I remember giving it to a friend of mine, Karen McCurdy, who is a great photographer. And she read it and she was like, what do these words mean? Yeah, because so much of the time it feels like we're just speaking to ourselves.

[Adam Friedland]

I mean, I think that's one thing that is going to be important is like just communicating, not above people's heads.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Just actually speaking with them, with people. And I think that's The. It's. The point is to bring people in to politics, not to condescend to them as to why they're not already there. And it's also just much easier being yourself.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

When you're speaking to people and you're gonna get old.

[Adam Friedland]

You think your face, brother. You see them always. Yeah. You're going bald already.

[Zoran Mamdani]

What do you mean, already? I've been going bald.

[Adam Friedland]

What are you doing for.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I'm just. I worry.

[Adam Friedland]

No.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Did you do anything? Did you do, like, Minoxidil?

[Adam Friedland]

We could go to Turkey.

[Zoran Mamdani]

That's one place.

[Adam Friedland]

I'll get rid of rhinoplasty. You go here. Oh, you can't go. Yeah.

Great.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Adam, we got a wrap.

[Adam Friedland]

Okay, last.

Last question. When I saw.

When I spoke to Lita, she said one thing that stuck with me. Yeah.

And I said, like, the most powerful.

Companies in the world. The most powerful people in the world, like, are pissed at you. She had, like, hundreds of op EDS in newspapers. No one knew what the fuck the FTC was. And her response to me was very impressive. It was like, she said. Like I said, did you ever clap back or anything? She looked, like, confused, and she was like, no, I just have to, like. I don't know, like, win the lawsuit.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Let the work speak for itself.

[Adam Friedland]

If you're getting pummeled in the press, like, how are you gonna keep your horse blinders on and just focus on the agenda?

[Zoran Mamdani]

You know, I think you. You have to both be responsive. But I think she's right, which. She's there. There's two things she said about that experience that have really stayed with me. The first is that you always have to remember that the opinions that you're hearing, that especially from the wealthy and the powerful, they will always be amplified in a way that working peoples are not.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And if you remember that context, you take that seriously. And you also don't think of it as surround sound in the way that it feels. And part of that means getting out of the office, getting actually into New York City, speaking to people, asking them what they're thinking about, what they're worried about. And then the other thing is that every time you win in your agenda, it proves that people are right to believe in that agenda in the first place. You have to both be able to respond to this and never let it distract you from the work that you're supposed to be doing. Because if she wins that lawsuit, then that's the proof. And if we deliver on this agenda, that's the proof. And, I mean, Bernie talks about the thing that people are afraid of is that the power of example.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[Zoran Mamdani]

That's what people are fearing. Not that we won't get it done, but that we will.

[Adam Friedland]

Can you like, can you get him on? Can you text him?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I don't know. My phone's on me.

[Adam Friedland]

You have his number, though. You text.

[Zoran Mamdani]

You should.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, shit. I got. No, no, no. I got a text.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Oh, are you gonna give me the second time? Just in right again.

[Caller/Fan]

Yes. Zoran, no. And the tash.

[Zoran Mamdani]

But hold on.

[Adam Friedland]

Look how handsome.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I gotta go. From the beginning.

[Adam Friedland]

Look at how hands are.

[Caller/Fan]

Yes. Zorin.

[Adam Friedland]

How are you? We gotta go. Betty stuff.

[Caller/Fan]

I don't know if you recognize me with this badge and this hair and we love told me that you guys were gonna watch the together.

[Adam Friedland]

We're now. You know, it made me miss it.

[Caller/Fan]

Before, after half time. But I'm sure that we're winning somehow. Also theory that being an Arsenal fan is heavily linked with being a cool person. That my thing Fury is really, truly standing right now.

[Adam Friedland]

Huge.

[Caller/Fan]

Congratulations.

[Adam Friedland]

It's like when Aiden Ross gave Trump a Tesla.

[Caller/Fan]

Even here in Spain, we feel the energy of what's happened.

[Adam Friedland]

I love him so much too.

[Caller/Fan]

He was rapping needs right now what the world needs right now. And man, just sending you lots of love and respect for from here. From Spain. From big Arsenal fan and former Arsenal player to a massive Arsenal fan as well. To you, Adam as well. Sending you lots of love, big hug and hope to see you guys soon.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Enjoy the game.

[Caller/Fan]

Yes, Zor.

[Adam Friedland]

I'll send these to you.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Oh, my God.

[Adam Friedland]

I'll text you.

[Zoran Mamdani]

That is.

[Adam Friedland]

I DM watched. I DM everyone. He's our era too.

[Zoran Mamdani]

He's our era. He's a style icon.

[Adam Friedland]

He's incredible. Yeah. I can't believe I did that. I feel like Oprah right now. You in a car.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I'll take you to Hector. I love you. Go ahead.

[Adam Friedland]

Sam. What's the score?

[Zoran Mamdani]

3:1.

[Adam Friedland]

What?

Fuck.