DONKEY: Critics Blast Zohran Mamdani's Mayoral Transition Team

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club

Episode: DONKEY: Critics Blast Zohran Mamdani's Mayoral Transition Team
Date: December 9, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Network: iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

In this episode's "Donkey of the Day" segment, the hosts address the heated criticism surrounding Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's selections for his New York City mayoral transition team—specifically, his inclusion of activists Tamika Mallory and Mysonne (referred to as "my son"). The hosts call out what they see as unfair, sensational headlines and societal double standards regarding redemption and community change-makers, especially for Black men.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Purpose of a Mayoral Transition Team

• [03:00] Charlamagne educates listeners about why transition teams exist:
  • Comprised of trusted advisors, experts, and community leaders.
  • Tasked with selecting key staff and shaping policy priorities between a mayoral election and inauguration.

2. Charlamagne’s Personal Connection

• [03:56] Shares his longstanding professional and personal relationship with both Tamika Mallory and Mysonne.
• Notes his company (Black Privilege Publishing) published Tamika's books and their podcast, explaining his support is firsthand and informed.

3. Criticism of Tamika Mallory’s Appointment

• [04:30] Charlamagne breaks down negative headlines:
  • "Mandani transition team includes Women’s March Leader embroiled in Anti Semitism scandal."
  • Fox News: "Mandani taps disgraced Activist who said one day we can abolish police."
• He argues these are misrepresentative and rooted in misunderstanding advocacy vs. extremism.
• Quote:
  • “Just because you are against the killing of innocent kids in Gaza and Palestine doesn’t make you antisemitic.” — Charlamagne ([05:14])
  • “Just because you believe you should reallocate funds from police budgets to community-based services... doesn't mean you want to abolish police.” — Charlamagne ([05:28])

4. Criticism of Mysonne’s Appointment & Redemption

• [06:05] New York Post headlines bring up Mysonne’s criminal record.
  • E.g., "Zoran Mandani taps ex con rapper who served seven years for armed robbery as criminal justice advisor..."
• Charlamagne provides context:
  • Mysonne was convicted in 1999, served his time, and became a community activist and violence interrupter.
• Highlights the double standard toward formerly incarcerated individuals, especially Black men, and the dearth of acknowledgment for redemption or positive community work.
• Quote:
  • “You a corrections officer who doesn’t believe in people who have been corrected?” — Charlamagne ([07:08])
  • “They always want to reduce us to our worst moments and they never want to acknowledge our growth.” — Charlamagne ([07:56])

5. Defense of Mamdani’s Picks

• [08:22] Argues direct experience with the criminal justice system is an asset, not a liability, for reform advisory roles.
• Points to the societal need for more "redemptive stories" and leaders who have "walked the walk" concerning systemic issues.

6. Outrage at Media Coverage

• [09:03] Hosts express disbelief and frustration at the "crime boss" label for Mysonne in the NY Post, considering his many community contributions.
• Quote:
  • “All the positive things he did in the community... never in the paper. This man is—and by the way, you have him on with another one of his initiatives. The Boycott Black Murder. His T-shirt literally says boycott Black Murder. That's who this man is now.” — Host ([09:38])
• Discuss potential grounds for defamation and the need for an apology.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “[T]hey are true public servants, okay, who don’t give a damn about politics. They care about the people.” — Charlamagne ([04:10])
• “Expertise don’t always come in a suit. Zoron picks someone with a past to lead us into the future, and I, for one, love it.” — Charlamagne ([08:22])
• “[T]his has to be some type of defamation or something. Absolutely... The Post should issue an apology. Yo. This is nuts.” — Host ([09:30])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:00] Intro and overview of Mamdani's transition team.
• [03:56] Personal endorsements and background on Tamika and Mysonne.
• [04:30] Media criticisms of Tamika Mallory and refutation.
• [06:05] Media criticisms of Mysonne; context of his criminal record and redemption narrative.
• [07:56] Discussion on society’s double standards and lack of belief in rehabilitation.
• [08:22] Overall defense of Mamdani’s transition team choices.
• [09:03] Discussion on the NY Post cover, defamation, and lack of coverage for positive acts.

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Tone & Language

• Candid, passionate, and direct.
• Mix of humor and seriousness—classic Breakfast Club energy.
• Focused on challenging double standards, championing redemption, and demanding accurate, fair coverage.

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Summary:
This episode powerfully defends Zohran Mamdani’s transition team picks—Tamika Mallory and Mysonne—against sensational media smear campaigns. The hosts argue for the importance of real-world experience, redemption, and community-rooted expertise in political appointments, highlighting how the media often ignores positive change in favor of divisive narratives. The overarching message: expertise and leadership come in many forms, and those who have transformed their lives are uniquely qualified to help shape the future.

Transcript

[A]

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It's time for donkey of the day. So if you ever feel I need to be a donkey man, hit me with the hero. Did she get donkey today? Please tell me I have become donkey of the day at the Breakfast Club. Bitchy. He mother hard. He mother effing hard. Donkey of the day for Tuesday to December 9th goes to all these critics of Zoran Mandani's transition team. Now, if you haven't heard, Zoran Mandani, the mayor elect in New York City, has been putting together his transition team. First of all, what is a mayor elect's transition team? A mayor's transition team is a group of trusted advisors, experts, community leaders assembled by a mayor elect between their election victory and inauguration to prepare for governing, all right? They help to select key staff, and they help to develop policy priorities. Two people that Zoran has selected are two individuals I support. Heavy. Okay? One is our fearless leader, the good sister, Tamika Mallory. Dropping the clues bombs for Tamika Mallory.

The other is the good brother, my son. Dropping the clues bombs for my son. I know my son since like 06 or 7, whenever he first came home. Full disclosure, not only are those my people, I do business with both of them. Okay? My imprint, Black Privilege Publishing, published both Tamika's books, State of Emergency, how to Win in the Country We Built, and her memoir, I Live to Tell the Story. Great stocking stuffers, by the way. My imprint, Black Privilege Publishing, publishes their podcast as well, tmi. So in case you didn't know, now you know. Now, both of them have been named to Zoran Mandani's transition team. Excellent choices, if you ask me. You know why they are excellent choices? Because they are true public servants, okay, who don't give a damn about politics. They care about the people. They actually do the thankless work of activism, dropping the clues bombs for their organization until freedom. And we all know activism comes with great risk and very little rewards. So when I saw Zoran add them to his transition team, I said, oh, good, okay, he's got a couple of people there that are that are going to hold him accountable. And I knew they were great picks when I saw the attacks come for both of them immediately. Okay, the headlines for Tamika were, mandani transition team includes Women's March Leader embroiled in Anti Semitism scandal. Fox News headline was, mandani taps disgraced Activists who said one day we can abolish police. The key public safety committee. Both of those headlines were about Tameka Mallory. Just because you are against the killing of innocent kids in Gaza and Palestine doesn't make you antisemitic. And just because you believe you should reallocate funds from police budgets to community based services like mental health, housing, education, violence prevention, because you want to address the root causes of crime, that don't mean you want to abolish police. You just want to reduce reliance on policing for social issues. Okay? And you're promoting public safety through community well being rather than punishment. You ask me, that's the perfect person to have on your public safety committee. Okay? Now, the good brother, my son. The NY Post ran a headline that said, Zoran Mandani taps ex con rapper who served seven years for armed robbery as criminal justice advisor on transition team. And I just saw on the front page of the New York Post today, the front freaking page, they have a picture of my son with the headline crime Boss Mondani appoints rapper who served seven years for armed robbery as justice advisor. Number one, my son was convicted in 1999, okay? He was like 19 or 20, maybe 21. Who served seven years for armed robbery as criminal justice advisor on transition team. Where do we begin? Number one, my son was convicted in 1999, okay? He was like 19 or 20, maybe 21. He was sentenced to seven to 14 years. Came home on parole in 2006 and he's been a model citizen ever since. He's a community activist. Okay. Spends years. He spent years volunteering as a violence interrupter. He has an organization called Raising Kings, a non profit group that teaches classes the inmates at Rikers Island. Okay. Benny Bosillo, I think his name is. He's the president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association. Said it is both disheartening and deeply disturbing that individuals who are convicted felons and have a history of breaking the law are being given the opportunity to help shape the future of New York's criminal justice system. Huh? Benny, are you serious? You a corrections officer who doesn't believe in people who have been corrected? My son has firsthand lived experience with the system. He understands communities that have been disproportionately affected by over policing, mass incarceration. He walked the walk and he survived it. Okay? That's what you should a symbol of a more restorative, human centered model. Not just this tough on crime system that we've been using. Okay? He has a redemptive story. Isn't that what we want? Ours? Redemption only for everybody. But black men, they always want to reduce us to our worst moments and they never want to acknowledge our growth. My son can reach people that Zoron or no other politician can. And that's what they don't want. That's what they are afraid of. They don't want more stories like my son. They want black men in prison forever. They don't want no redemption for us. And that's why I love Mandani's choices, because he picked someone in people. But in the case of my son, he's picked someone who has lived through incarceration and now advocates for reform. Listen to all these critics. You know, you say you want criminal justice reform and then get mad when somebody who's actually been through the damn system gets a seat at the table. What? What? Grope ain't always pretty, and expertise don't always come in a suit. Zoron picks someone with a pass to lead us into the future, and I, for one, love it. Please give all these credits to Zoran Mandani's transition team. The biggest he. Huh?

I can't believe that they got my son on the front of the video for the donkey. Are you gonna close? No, I'm adding this to the end of the chat. Okay, you ready? I really can't believe that they got mice on. On the front of the New York Post with the headline crime boss. This, this, this. This got to be liable, yo. Absolutely. You can't call this man a crime boss. This man ain't been to prison. The man went to prison in 1999, came home on parole in 2006, has been a model citizen ever since. How can you put him on the front page of the New York Post and call him a crime boss? He should be able to. This has to be some type of defamation or something. Absolutely. And it's so crazy. All the positive things he did in the community, all the positive things he did from New York City, all the positive things he. Around the country, never in the paper. This man is. And by the way, you have him on with another one of his initiatives, the Boycott Black Murder. His T shirt literally says boycott Black Murder. His hat says boycott Black Murder. That's who this man is now. Yeah. How could y'? All like. This is. This is crazy, though. This is crazy. This got to be liable in some way, shape, or form. Come on, man. Yeah, well, thank you for that donkey today. But he should be able to sue them. That's crazy. Yeah, absolutely. The Post should issue an apology. Yo. This is nuts. Well, donkey of the day is sponsored by renowned personal injury attorney Michael the Bull Lamentsoft. Don't be a donkey when you need a fighter on your side. If you're ever injured, go to michaelthebull.com that's michaeltheboull.com and when you mess with the bull, you get the horns.

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