The Ben Shapiro Show, Ep. 2311

Pro-Jihadist Marxist TAKES NEW YORK!
Date: November 5, 2025
Host: Ben Shapiro

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ben Shapiro reacts to the stunning and, in his view, deeply concerning results of the 2025 elections—particularly the victory of Zoran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, as Mayor of New York City. Shapiro examines what these results mean for leftist politics in America, breaks down the ideological and demographic coalitions driving the outcomes, scrutinizes Mamdani's policies and rhetoric, and discusses how conservatives should respond to this shifting landscape. The episode also includes a critical analysis of Mamdani’s victory speech, reactions from progressive commentators, and a closing interview on parenting and autism with journalist Leland Vittert.

Election Results & First Reactions

[00:00 – 05:33]

• Zoran Mamdani’s Historic Win in New York City
  • Mamdani, a self-professed Marxist and “pro-jihadist,” becomes NYC’s 111th mayor.
  • Andrew Cuomo, the former governor, finishes a distant second, losing due to lack of enthusiasm.
  • High turnout: Mamdani garners over 1.1 million votes.
  • Shapiro’s summary: NYC has “handed the financial center of planet Earth to a Marxist pro jihadist...who has never held a real job.” (00:55)
  • Critique of Mamdani’s “outlandish promises” and proposals that Shapiro likens to “third grade running for school president.”

“You did it. You really finally did it. You maniacs. You blew it up, damn you. Well, I mean, the Statue of Liberty.”
—Ben Shapiro (00:43)

• Virginia and New Jersey Races
  • Abigail Spanberger (VA) wins by a large margin—considered a moderate Democrat.
  • Mikey Sherrill (NJ) wins, also leaning progressive.
  • Republicans generally do poorly; Shapiro notes these are Democratic states to begin with.

The Democratic Party: Ideological Contrasts & Coalitions

[05:33 – 20:14]

• Division in the Democratic Party

  • Spanberger represents moderate pragmatism; Mamdani, the ascendant far-left.
  • Question posed: Will national Democrats embrace Mamdani as “the future,” or treat him as a volatile outsider?

• Dissection of Mamdani’s Coalition (NBC Exit Polls)

  • Overwhelming support: 81% of women under 30; 64% of young men.
  • Older demographics, religious, and non-college-educated voters skewed toward Cuomo.
  • Strong backing among immigrant, progressive, college-educated, and female voters.
  • Notable racial breakdown: Black (55–40% Mamdani), Hispanic (49–42%), Asian (overwhelmingly for Mamdani), White (even split).
  • Educational attainment: The more education, the stronger the support for Mamdani.

“There is an elite class in New York City…who he explicitly appealed to as quote, unquote, outsiders to the system, suggesting that basically it was immigrant populations versus everybody else. And that was his victory speech.”
—Ben Shapiro (18:47)

• Religious Breakdown

  • Most Protestants and Catholics: Cuomo.
  • Most Jews (particularly Orthodox): Cuomo.
  • Muslims/“Other”: 70–25% for Mamdani.

• Thematic Analysis

  • Shapiro emphasizes the irony of Mamdani’s “class warrior” posture, given his own privileged background.
  • Predicts financial disaster and business outflow should Mamdani’s policies pass.

Zoran Mamdani’s Victory Speech: Analysis and Response

[20:14 – 39:45]

Highlights from Mamdani’s Speech & Shapiro’s Commentary

Opening Quotation and Marxist Rhetoric
(20:14 – 22:36)

“The sun may have set over our city this evening, but as Eugene Debs once said, I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.”
—Zoran Mamdani (20:14)

• Shapiro: Frames this as “Marxist language right off the bat”—an invocation of collective transformation through economic revolution.

Class Warfare and “The People”
(22:36 – 23:36)

“These are not hands that have been allowed to hold power. And yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands, my friends. We have toppled a political dynasty.”
—Zoran Mamdani (22:36)

• Shapiro likens Mamdani to “Bane from The Dark Knight Rises,” fanning populist resentment.

Victory Over Cuomo
(24:04)

“Let tonight be the final time I utter his name as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.”
—Zoran Mamdani (24:04)

Coalition of the “Forgotten”
(26:26 – 27:23)

“Thank you to those so often forgotten…Yemeni bodega owners and Mexican abuelas, Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses, Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties. Yes, aunties.”
—Zoran Mamdani (26:26)

• Shapiro: Points out absence of “native born New Yorkers” and “white people of any stripe,” emphasizing Mamdani’s outsider/immigrant-centric framing.

Call to “Breathe” and Reference to BLM
(28:06 – 28:34)

“Breathe this moment in. We have held our breath for longer than we know.”
—Zoran Mamdani (28:06)

• Shapiro: Reads this as a nod to Black Lives Matter and the idea of a perennial underclass liberated at last.

Hope and Mandate for Change
(30:34 – 31:13)

“We chose hope together. Hope over tyranny. Hope over big money and small ideas. Hope over despair. We won because New Yorkers allowed themselves to hope that the impossible could be made possible.”
—Zoran Mamdani (30:34)

• Shapiro ridicules repetition of “affordability” with no real solutions.

Unworkable Agenda: Rent Freezes, Free Transit, Universal Childcare
(32:06)

“…freeze the rents for more than 2 million rent-stabilized tenants, make buses fast and free and deliver universal childcare…”
—Zoran Mamdani (32:06)

• Shapiro: “Free ice cream for everyone...if you believe this, then I guess I have a radical jihadi supporter, Marxist for you for mayor.” (32:54)

Attack on Trump, Multicultural Solidarity
(33:26)

“Whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job...your struggle is ours too.”
—Zoran Mamdani (33:26)

Straddling Anti-Semitism/Islamophobia
(34:57)

“We will build a city hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers…where the more than 1 million Muslims know that they belong…”
—Zoran Mamdani (34:57)

• Shapiro: “If you are a Jew in New York City, prepare for some pretty hard times.”

Faith in Unlimited Government
(35:54)

“We will prove that there is no problem too large for government to solve and no concern too small for it to care about.”
—Zoran Mamdani (35:54)

• Shapiro: “Government is magic.”

Dramatic Conclusion and Trump-Targeting
(37:20 – 38:31)

“If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him…Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words from you turn the volume up.”
—Zoran Mamdani (37:20)

Unapologetic Identity
(39:09)

“I am young… I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.”
—Zoran Mamdani (39:09)

• Shapiro: “Many paths in life…some of them lead off cliffs.” (39:45)

Progressive Commentary & Conservative Response

[42:56 – 49:42]

• Hasan Piker at Mamdani's Election Party
  • Declares the defeat of the USSR “unfortunate,” praises rise of class consciousness in America.
  • (43:03): “This is the country that defeated the USSR, unfortunately...perhaps there is an alternative out there...”

“Anybody who thinks it was unfortunate that the Soviet Union...which is responsible for the murder of tens of millions of human beings…at least they're saying the quiet part out loud now.”
—Ben Shapiro (43:53)

• Shapiro’s Rebuke of Conservative “Infighting”
  • Criticizes Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene for focusing on wrong issues, ignoring the leftist advance.
  • Notes that Shapiro himself has warned (17 times since October 5th) about Mamdani on his show, while Tucker Carlson mentioned him only thrice in two years.
  • Tucker Carlson praised Mamdani’s focus on New York at a debate (45:41).
  • Shapiro lambasts right-wing embrace of fringe or unserious figures, arguing it weakens the conservative movement.

Interview: Leland Vittert on “Born Lucky—A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism”

[51:24 – 59:41]

• Highlights
  • Vittert shares the story of overcoming severe childhood autism, crediting his father’s insistence on adapting him to the world, rather than the world to him.
  • Techniques: earned self-esteem through hard work, social skills taught by deliberate training, post-game breakdowns of social errors.
  • The book’s resonance: hundreds of emails from parents, many not dealing with autism, but inspired by the anti-coddling, proactive message.
  • Emphasis: parents have significant agency to help their children thrive.

“Self-esteem to him is earned, not given. So it started with pushups…hard work would yield results, character.”
—Leland Vittert (54:07)

“You can never use your diagnosis either as an excuse or...allow it to define you. And that’s why he didn’t tell me or anybody else until I was in my 20s.”
—Leland Vittert (56:12)

“Born Lucky is the proof of the power and agency every parent has to help their kids be more.”
—Leland Vittert (58:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You did it. You really finally did it. You maniacs. You blew it up, damn you...”
  —Ben Shapiro (00:43)

• “We now live in a political era characterized on both sides by people accurately diagnosing problems and then not accurately diagnosing any solutions...”
  —Ben Shapiro (02:56)

• “81% of women under 30 voted for Mamdani.”
  —Ben Shapiro (13:16)

• “These are elite belief systems...not a shock, DSA openly acknowledged this in the primary against Cuomo.”
  —Ben Shapiro (17:26)

• “Government is magic.”
  —Ben Shapiro (35:34)

• “Some of them lead off cliffs.”
  —Ben Shapiro (39:45)

• “This is the country that defeated the USSR, unfortunately…”
  —Hasan Piker (43:03)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction & Election Night Rundown: 00:00–05:33
• Democratic Party Contrasts & Exit Poll Analysis: 05:33–20:14
• Mamdani Victory Speech Analysis: 20:14–39:45
• Progressive Reaction (Hasan Piker) & Critique of Right Wing Response: 42:56–49:42
• Interview with Leland Vittert on Parenting, Autism, and “Born Lucky”: 51:24–59:41

Tone & Style

Ben Shapiro's tone is polemical, urgent, and often sarcastic. He aggressively critiques progressive politics, channels frustration about the Republican Party’s response, and warns of dire consequences for New York and, by extension, the country. The interview with Leland Vittert strikes a more thoughtful and hopeful note, focusing on resilience and the power of involved parenting.

Summary Conclusion

Ben Shapiro paints the Mamdani victory as a pivotal, ominous moment in American politics, characterizing it as a win for radical leftism and a test case for the future of the Democratic Party. The episode is a warning against complacency on the right and a call to resist embracing unserious or divisive figures. Through detailed demographic analysis, speech breakdown, and engagement with responses from the left, Shapiro lays out his worldview and concerns—concluding the episode with an inspiring story on the importance of grit and parent-driven growth for children facing adversity.