The Ben Shapiro Show, Ep. 2310: Will New York Surrender To Pro-Jihadist, Marxist Mamdani?

Date: November 4, 2025
Host: Ben Shapiro
Special Guest Segment: Oz Perlman (mentalist)
Main Focus: New York City Mayoral Election, Zoran Mamdani, U.S. Political Climate

Episode Overview

Ben Shapiro tackles election day in New York City, focusing on the contentious mayoral race between Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa, and Zoran Mamdani—a candidate Shapiro repeatedly paints as a radical pro-jihadist Marxist. With biting skepticism and a combative tone, Shapiro criticizes “third worldist” thinking, discusses polling data, and warns against protest voting for Sliwa. He extends the analysis to Democratic Party dynamics, the influence of far-left activism, and broader national political implications. Later in the episode, Shapiro discusses other key races (New Jersey, Virginia) and features a live-mindreading segment with mentalist Oz Perlman.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. New York Mayoral Race & The "Danger" of Zoran Mamdani

• Poll Breakdown: Latest Atlas Intel survey—Mamdani leads Cuomo 43.9% to 39.4%; Sliwa at 15.5%. Shapiro argues a vote for Sliwa is de facto a vote for Mamdani.
  • [01:50] "If you take your vote and you put it in the Sliwa box, that is a vote effectively for Zoran Mamdani. Period. End of story." — Ben Shapiro
• Trump’s Statement: Reads a Truth Social post from President Trump, warning he’ll withhold federal funds from NYC if “Communist” Mamdani wins.
  • [03:00] "If Communist candidate Zoran Mamdani wins the election for mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely I will be contributing federal funds…"
• Threat of Exodus: Citing a New York Post poll, Shapiro claims up to 9% of New Yorkers might “definitely leave” if Mamdani is elected, with even greater percentages among high-income residents.
  • [04:15] "If you’re mobile, do you want to stick around while this guy wrecks the city?"
• Characterization of Mamdani: Shapiro repeatedly calls Mamdani a "third worldist," fake, and untrustworthy, mocking his cultural “code-switching," rap persona, and familial anecdotes about 9/11 and Islamophobia.
  • [05:00] "Zoran Mamdani is a third worldist… meaning he believes that all the poor places on Earth are the fault of Western civilization..."
  • [07:09] Mocking Mamdani’s lifestyle and campaign persona: "Do you think Zoran Mamdani, like, in his normal life, eats rice with his hands? … What a fake he is. Truly. What a phony."

2. Mamdani’s Ideological Record: Islam, Pro-Palestine, Anti-Police

• Extensive Audio Clips: Shapiro plays and reacts to Mamdani’s old interviews and raps, focusing on:
  • Support for the Holy Land Foundation 5
  • Rallying with slogans like “globalize the intifada”
  • Drawing connections between NYPD and Israeli military ([17:38])
  • Refusing to clearly denounce Hamas or call for their disarmament in interviews ([19:40-20:24])
    • Notable Exchange:

    Interviewer: "But do you believe that Hamas should lay down their weapons and leave the leadership in Gaza?"
    Mamdani: "I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure that's affordable for all… as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace…" ([20:09])

  • Defending student protesters at Columbia who honor Palestinian figures ([16:54])
• Shapiro’s Framing:
  • Portrays Mamdani’s shift from firebrand radical to mainstream candidate as pure affectation, not substantive change:
    • [09:07] "The only thing that Zoran Mamdani has changed is his affect."

3. On Policing and Crime

• Old Comments: Mamdani openly supported "defunding the police" and argued for decriminalization policies ([25:11-26:07]).

  • Interviewer: "Are you for defunding the police?"

  Mamdani: "I am in favor of defunding the police."

• Recent Apology: During the campaign, Mamdani issues public apologies to police officers, signaling a supposed shift to “work with” NYPD ([26:13]).

  • Interviewer: "Will you do that [apologize to police] right now?"

  Mamdani: "Absolutely. I'll apologize to police officers right here…" ([27:13])

• Skepticism: Shapiro is intensely skeptical of Mamdani’s sincerity, suggesting the change is a political ploy.

4. Economic Platform & Social Views

• Socialism: Mamdani self-identifies as a democratic socialist, criticizes capitalism, and appeals to MLK’s advocacy for wealth redistribution ([30:41]).

  • Mamdani: “I call myself a democratic socialist ... focused on dignity and taking on income inequality.” ([30:41])

• Decriminalization Stances: Supports decriminalizing prostitution and abolishing the NYPD gang database ([28:11], [28:33]).

5. Shapiro’s Plea to NYC Voters

• Expresses strong preference for "lesser evil" Cuomo over Mamdani, even while deriding Cuomo as a “schmuck.”
  • [31:15] "Do not do this stupid thing. What are you doing? Vote for Andrew Cuomo. Yes. I don't like Andrew Cuomo either..."
• Warns of dire consequences for the city and the country if Mamdani is elected.

6. The Democratic Party’s Leftward Drift

• Party Dynamics: Notes establishment discomfort (e.g., Hakeem Jeffries hedging on Mamdani as the “future” of the party) ([32:29]).

  • Hakeem Jeffries: “The statement speaks for itself.”

• National Stakes: Shapiro warns Democrats that failure to repudiate radicals could doom their party.

7. Other Key Races: NJ & VA

• NJ Gubernatorial: GOP’s Jack Ciattarelli faces a tight race with Democrat Mickey Sherrill. Shapiro endorses Ciattarelli and describes him as a “traditional Republican” championing Reaganomics ([35:30]).
• VA Gubernatorial: Abigail Spanberger (Democrat) leads; possibility for down-ballot Republican wins discussed ([38:56]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:50] Ben Shapiro on Sliwa votes:
  "If you take your vote and you put it in the Sliwa box, that is a vote effectively for Zoran Mandani. Period. End of story."
• [03:00] President Trump on Mamdani:
  "If Communist candidate Zoran Mamdani wins the election for mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely I will be contributing federal funds other than the very minimum as required to my beloved first home..."
• [07:09] Ben Shapiro:
  "Do you think Zormadani, like, in his normal life, eats rice with his hands?...What a fake he is. Truly. What a phony."
• [17:38] Zoran Mamdani:
  "When the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it's been laced by the IDF."
• [20:20] Interviewer:
  "But you won't say that Hamas should lay down their arms and give up leadership in Gaza."
  Mamdani:
  "I don't really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety ..."
• [31:15] Ben Shapiro:
  "I don't like Andrew Cuomo either. Yes, I think Andrew Cuomo is a schmuck. But you know who's way more dangerous than schmuck Andrew Cuomo? Zoran Mamdani."

[48:24 – 60:11] Special Guest: Oz Perlman, Mentalist

• Book Plug: Oz Perlman promotes “Read Your Mind: Proven Habits for Success from the World’s Greatest Mentalist.”
• Core Success Habits:
  • Overcome the fear of rejection—reframe “no” as “not yet.”
    • [52:13] "When people say no, I hear in my head, 'and not yet.' I'm going to find a way to win them over..." — Oz Perlman
  • Confidence building and memory techniques you can immediately put into practice ([50:28]).
• Memorable Trick: Oz Perlman performs a live mind-reading trick, deducing Shapiro’s secret PIN code (revealed as “1183”) ([58:49-59:10]).
  • [59:10] Ben Shapiro (reacting): "What? Yes, that's the code. That's wild. Whoa. Whoa, dude. Okay. Whoa. That's. Okay, that's insane. That's totally insane."
• Positive Takeaways: Oz asserts anyone can learn these skills for success, emphasizing resilience, preparation, and the human element in overcoming obstacles.

Summary Table of Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00-05:00 | NYC mayoral race framing, Sliwa/Cuomo/Mamdani polling | | 05:00-10:00 | Attacking Mamdani’s radicalism and authenticity | | 12:35-16:00 | Mamdani’s post-9/11 experiences, pro-Palestinian activism | | 17:38-19:09 | Antisemitism, “globalize the intifada” slogans | | 19:40-21:43 | Mamdani on Hamas; avoids condemning, supports ICC arrest for Netanyahu | | 25:11-27:13 | Mamdani on policing, apology to NYPD, law enforcement stances | | 28:11-30:41 | Decriminalization, abolishing gang database, socialism | | 32:29-34:00 | National Democratic Party responses to Mamdani’s candidacy | | 35:30-38:56 | NJ & VA gubernatorial races | | 40:04-46:00 | Broader US and international political context | | 48:24-60:11 | Oz Perlman: mentalism, book insights, live mindreading trick |

Tone & Style

• Aggressive, polemical, fast-paced, and heavy on sarcasm.
• Shapiro employs ridicule and derision when critiquing left-wing positions.
• Infused with urgency and alarm about leftist political ascendancy, combined with humor and pop culture asides.

For Listeners

This episode is a sweeping tour of the 2025 New York political battleground, serving as both a polemic against left-wing radicalism and a conservative rallying call. Mamdani’s campaign is painted as existentially dangerous, with Shapiro repeatedly urging New Yorkers not to protest vote for Sliwa, warning of catastrophic consequences if progressives win. The overall messaging: Democrats are losing control of their party to the far-left, and as goes New York, so goes the national mood. The Oz Perlman segment offers an unexpected, entertaining pivot, highlighting actionable psychological techniques for success—and delivering a dazzling mind-reader performance to close out the show.